For people living in regional, rural and remote WA, distance shouldn’t determine access to healthcare. That’s the driving force behind the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing outreach programs, which bring visiting specialist and allied health services directly into the communities that need them most.
We led five outreach service delivery programs and co-delivered two coordination programs in partnership with the Aboriginal Health Council of WA and Lions Outback Vision:
- Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP).
- Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF).
- Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS).
- Healthy Ears, Better Hearing, Better Listening
(HEBHBL). - Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS).
- Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH).
- Ear Health Coordination Program (EHCP).
Together, these programs funded 88 service providers to deliver 3,706 visits, which resulted in 76,805 occasions of service across 131 rural and remote communities. Of those, 44,515 occasions of service, 58 per cent, were provided to Aboriginal people.
None of this happens in isolation. Strong relationships with outreach providers, local services and regional clinicians keep these programs genuinely integrated and responsive to community
need, with Regional Working Groups meeting twice a year and as required out of session, to review service delivery, provide valuable local community insight and identify priority service requirements for the year ahead.
This year early-stage discussions began about the potential transition of Aboriginal health programs into the hands of Aboriginal organisations, and on strengthening ear health outcomes through
continuing to work with our partners and deliver the fifth WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum.
Another key update as part of our regional planning and discussions included the program update that as of 30 June 2026, the Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP)
and Healthy Ears, Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) are being consolidated into the First Nations Health Outreach Service (FNHOS) program from 1 July 2026. This is to allow greater flexibility within the administration of the programs.