GP service

Primary health care

Updated 3 June 2021

Sacred Heart Mission’s General Practitioner (GP) service has provided primary health care to our clients for more than 10 years.

Alongside a nutritious meal and individualised support, people with chronic ill health and unmet medical needs have had the opportunity to access our clinical care on-site.

Our team has managed to run the GP clinic with a high level of service, thanks to our dedicated doctors, nurse practitioners and generous donors. However, the operational oversight and clinical governance required to run the clinic is no longer sustainable or in line with our strategic direction.

This is why Sacred Heart Mission will be closing the GP clinic on 30 June 2021.

“While the Mission’s GP clinic has been an incredible resource for clients, managing a health clinic, even part-time, requires an enormous amount of operational bandwidth. Ultimately, our community health partners are in a stronger position to deliver and maintain GP care to our clients. By transitioning this service to local partners, the Mission will gain more capacity to deliver on our core strategic goals.”
- Stephen Schmidtke, Executive Director Client Services

Moving forward, our Pathway Workers will assist clients in connecting people to local GP practices, including the Salvation Army’s community health service ACCESS Health, which is located only 200 meters from our Dining Hall.

All existing clients who required a transition plan to nearby community GP clinics have been supported in completing this transition.

Workers at our Dining Hall and other engagement hubs will continue to be mindful of client’s health issues and ensure they are connected to and followed up by local health services as needed.

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With special thanks to City of Port Phillip for their support.