Primary Health Care
Clinics are regular services provided to rural and remote locations across Australia. Over 14,000 clinics are provided by RFDS in any given year.
Clinic services are based on the principles of Primary Health Care. Primary Health Care is an approach to management of patients used throughout the health system in Australia, which includes a comprehensive range of health services provided by multi-disciplinary teams. The teams include general practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals and other health workers such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health education/promotion and community development workers.
RFDS nationally provides primary health care services through regular clinics conducted at a range of locations such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, rural support towns, remote stations, mines and oil fields, national parks and tourist resorts throughout rural and remote Australia.
Clinic services include:
- General practice
- Nursing services
- Child and maternal health
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
- Women’s health
- Mental health
- Dental services
- Allied health
- Medical specialists
(Note that the range of clinic services provided varies between different parts of Australia.)