Your NNC: Blog

Sydney Local Health District conduct free testing via NNC’s One Stop Shop.

Partner Showcase
May 2023

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One Stop Shop and NSW Health break down the barriers to healthcare​

At NNC, reaching vulnerable community members is one of our most critical challenges. Our partnerships play a crucial role in ensuring people from all walks of life can access support when they need it.
 
One Stop Shop (OSS) provides a central hub for a variety of essential social and health services out of the nearby Newtown Mission. As one of the partnering services, NSW Health’s Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) has been participating in One Stop Shop since December 2018, providing free HIV and Hepatitis C testing.
 
Since then, SLHD has undertaken 263 tests through One Stop Shop, reaching more than 190 members of our community. We spoke to Sydney Local Health District Manager for the Priority Populations Programs, Brooke Dailey, about how One Stop Shop is bridging the gap between vulnerable and transient communities, and access to vital testing services and treatment.

Collaborating to overcome access to testing and health literacy barriers

“In our experience, it is the health literacy of the community that is the biggest barrier to accessing conventional health care services, and we mitigate this by offering outreach,” Brooke explains. “For some people it can be costly to see a healthcare provider, they may not have the means to travel for testing unless it is close by, or it’s simply not a priority when you’re faced with food insecurity or homelessness,” she adds.
 
For others, a limited understanding of how to navigate the healthcare system, lower levels of health literacy, and misunderstanding risk factors can make seeking out testing services difficult. 

"This is why early detection and treatment can have a profound impact on an individual’s health and prevent onward transmission to others,” Brooke says.
 
Incredibly, a quarter of testing numbers through the One Stop Shop were of people returning to the centre for retesting, including one patient who received and completed treatment, which is historically challenging with transient communities.
 
Finding trust through the One Stop Shop partnership
 
One of the most significant obstacles when it comes to conducting testing is the issue of trust. “When working with vulnerable communities, it’s not unusual to see some level of distrust, which can often come from a fear of discrimination,” Brooke shares.
 
“Partnering with One Stop Shop means our services are visible to people presenting for other services; but we’re also associated with an organisation that has a great rapport and relationship with the community. It’s a welcoming, safe and familiar environment to facilitate judgement-free conversations, particularly for those who may be disengaged with mainstream healthcare services. The benefit is two-fold; people are more likely to return for ongoing treatment and they can also recommend others at risk to attend for testing, as we have found through One Stop Shop,” Brooke concludes.
 
NNC’s One Stop Shop is a multi-agency hub with representatives from government, legal, housing and health agencies, including NSW Health’s Sydney Local Health District, who provide support and advice to the community.
 
For more information about One Stop Shop visit: www.newtowncentre.org/whats-on. If you are interested in volunteering or would like to know more about partnering with NNC, please contact communitystrengthening@newtowncentre.org

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