- $2.2 million to establish the new Country Connect service to support regional patients
- Country Connect will provide a comprehensive journey and care coordination service for at-risk cohorts who travel to Perth for specialist healthcare
- Service will reduce and prevent vulnerable patients from falling into a cycle of homelessness and rough sleeping upon reaching the city
A new Country Connect service which will provide a comprehensive journey and care coordination service will be established to better support regional patients travelling to Perth.
The Country Connect service will cater for at-risk cohorts who travel to Perth from remote and regional areas to access specialist healthcare. The service aims to reduce instances of rough sleeping during medical treatment.
To establish the service, the McGowan Government will invest $2.2 million through the Mid-year Review for intensive end-to-end journey coordination, to support patients through all stages of their travel. This includes providing patients with timely and supported access to appropriate accommodation and return to region supports.
The program will identify vulnerable patients and a support person prior to planned travel to the metropolitan area, or following unplanned emergency transfers.
Country Connect will also tailor services to patient's individual requirements and provide them with information, resources, and supports targeted to their needs.
The new service will reduce and prevent rough sleeping in the city where an individual has travelled to Perth for health reasons but does not have access to accommodation or means to return to country.
Country Connect strengthens the McGowan Government's most recent $24.2 million package of homelessness reforms, which included $20.7 million to provide 100 homes for rough sleepers.
The new program closely aligns with the principles established in All Paths Lead to Home: Western Australia's 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030, and forms part of the McGowan Government's work to improving coordination and delivery of homelessness services.
As stated by Homelessness Minister John Carey:
"Our Government continues to reform and invest in innovative solutions to reduce rough sleeping across Western Australia - with a $2.2 million injection to establish the Country Connect service.
"We are tackling rough sleeping from all angles and Country Connect is an important part of our prevention and reduction strategy to rough sleeping.
"Through its intensive supports, Country Connect will ensure that patients do not fall through the cracks and as a result fall into homelessness.
"This includes supporting Aboriginal people to return to Country through culturally appropriate supports.
As stated by Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"County Connect will support patients from regional or remote areas who have planned travel to the metropolitan area for medical appointments.
"This is an innovative reform that will encompass coordination across government and non-government services in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for some of the most vulnerable members of our community."
