{"id":1661,"date":"2026-03-25T09:42:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/?p=1661"},"modified":"2026-03-25T09:42:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:42:17","slug":"a-nurse-led-clinic-3-rural-towns-and-fewer-long-drives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/a-nurse-led-clinic-3-rural-towns-and-fewer-long-drives\/","title":{"rendered":"A nurse-led clinic, 3 rural towns, and fewer long drives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Thursdays in Bendoc, the neighbourhood house looks much the same from the outside. But once a week, one small room turns into something that hasn\u2019t existed here for years: a place to get care without packing the car for a day-long trip.

In the Errinundra to Snowy district \u2013 nine tiny communities scattered through far East Gippsland\u2019s high country \u2013 a \u201cquick\u201d appointment has never been quick. For many people, seeing a GP has meant hours on winding roads, fuel they can\u2019t always spare, and a neighbour recruited to drive. The price isn\u2019t just money. It\u2019s time off work, stress, and the quiet decision to put symptoms off for \u201clater\u201d.

After years of pushing for something better, community leaders from the Deddick Valley Isolated Community Group teamed up with Orbost Regional Health to try a new approach. Instead of waiting for a doctor to move in (and stay), they brought nurse-led care into three familiar community spaces in Goongerah, Tubbut and Bendoc.

A community nurse now visits each town every week. Some people drop in for health checks or help with dressings. Others bring questions they\u2019ve been carrying around for months. If a GP or specialist is needed, the nurse helps set up a phone or video appointment and makes sure people understand what\u2019s been decided and what happens next.

One resident summed it up: \u201cReally handy that you didn\u2019t have to go all the way to Orbost.\u201d An independent evaluation of the pilot by Larter Consulting found the service reached more than a third of the district\u2019s population in its first year, delivering more than 800 appointments and follow-ups and reaching 37% of the population. People described getting help earlier, keeping on top of long-term conditions, and feeling more confident navigating the health system.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Travel<\/a>
Travel and cost savings infographic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The economics showed up in everyday life. Most survey respondents said they made fewer long trips for care. Almost half said they saved money. Many said they got help faster. For older residents and people living with ongoing conditions, those changes aren\u2019t just convenient \u2013 they can be the difference between staying well at home and ending up in urgent care.

The evaluation also captured stories that are hard to put a dollar figure on, but impossible to ignore. \u201cIt saved her leg\u2026 she was hours away from getting sepsis,\u201d said one local. Another wrote: \u201cThe way I feel about myself has completely flipped. I care now.\u201d In a district where services come and go, the wellbeing spaces have become a steady point. They\u2019re also a social connector: people meet while they wait, swap news, and look out for each other. In small towns, that connection is part of health too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lesson for rural Australia isn\u2019t that every community needs the same model. It\u2019s that smart investment starts with what people already have: trusted local spaces, practical partnerships, and care that turns up consistently. The biggest risk to the economics of this kind of service isn\u2019t whether people will use it \u2013 they already are. It\u2019s whether short-term funding, patchy infrastructure, and workforce pressures will make it hard to keep. Out here, the real cost of a GP visit has always been more than the appointment. When care comes to town, communities keep more of their time, their money, and their wellbeing close to home.

The Community Group are keen to talk with potential partners and funders to sustain and extend this vital rural service. If interested, contact Tubbut Neighbourhood House<\/a> via tubbutnh@outlook.com<\/p>\n

\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n \"Medical\r\n\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n Refugee health in Wagga Wagga <\/a>\r\n\r\n

\r\n As a fourth-year medical student, Xanthie Harvey recently had the opportunity to complete a rural general practice (GP) rotation with Read more<\/a> <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n \"Partyline\r\n\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n Making shiftwork healthier: What I wish I knew sooner <\/a>\r\n\r\n

\r\n It\u2019s 4am, and I\u2019ve been awake for 22 hours. My shift started at 2:30pm and the surgeries haven\u2019t stopped all Read more<\/a> <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n \"Dr\r\n\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n Building a life, not just a career: Dr Prue Wallin on rural medicine <\/a>\r\n\r\n

\r\n Growing up in rural Queensland instilled in Dr Prue Wallin resilience, compassion, and a deep respect for community\u2014values that shaped Read more<\/a> <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n \"Two\r\n\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n Breaking the silence: Tackling eating disorders in rural Australia through the InsideOut GP Hub <\/a>\r\n\r\n

\r\n Across Australia\u2019s vast landscapes, from outback towns to coastal farming communities, people living with eating disorders face many barriers in Read more<\/a> <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n