Our Flying Doctor Outreach Care Program was established in May 2021 to deliver community-based activities that supported mental health and wellbeing in communities across East Gippsland affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires.
Funded by Gippsland Primary Health Network, this program enabled us to create connections across bushfire-affected communities and support individuals and the community with wellbeing and mental health issues in an ongoing capacity.
The current funding contract for the program ends on 31 December 2024, and the Gippsland Primary Health Network has confirmed that its funding will not continue past this date.
RFDS Victoria has also reviewed program costs and investigated other possible funding streams and have unfortunately been unable to establish viable funding options to keep the program going.
While the primary funding for the program comes to an end in December, RFDS Victoria will self-fund the program from January to March 2025 in order to support the community with the transition to the program’s close.
As a result, the Flying Doctor Outreach Care program will end on 31 March 2025.
We’re extremely proud of the service we have been able to offer the local community, and the positive relationships we have built in the region.
We’re committed to working closely with local health care providers and the local community on an exit plan that is respectful of the clients and communities that use our service.
We remain committed to providing health care to the Gippsland region – our Wellbeing service continues to operate in the region and ensures that locals can still receive the health wellbeing support they need.
For now, our Flying Doctor Outreach Care service remains open and available to the community.
We will be contacting our clients and community stakeholders to update them on this news.
If you have any questions, please contact: wellbeing@rfdsvic.com.au