Freo Street Doctor expands in City of Canning in line with ‘growing homeless population’

The City of Canning has used World Homeless Day to launch its expanded mobile doctor service.

The Bentley Street Doctor, which was launched on October 10, will be available every Tuesday, alongside Orange Sky mobile laundry service and free meals and food parcels at The Shop Front Kitchen.

It will provide primary health care to the “marginalised, disadvantaged and homeless”, which the Freo Street Doctor offers in Cannington.

The expanded service is backed by a $5000 grant given to the city in August by Shelter WA.

The Freo Street Doctor pushed into Cannington last year as a result of a growing homeless population in the area.

Black Swan Health chief executive Sarah Tadier said increased pressure on services was felt across the board and local government areas.

“We engage with individual local governments to identify where there might be a need to deliver our Street Doctor services,” she said.

“We continue to experience increased demand from people coming to the service.

“In the last 12 months, we’ve noticed a significant increase in people coming to the service for the first time.”

She said the success of the health service meant its staff could reach people who were often unable to access mainstream healthcare services.

“Our service bulk bills to reduce financial barriers; the locations where we deliver our services are safe and we try to make them as accessible as possible — maybe close to public transport systems; we treat all people with respect and without judgment,” she said.

“Mainstream general practice may not be easily accessible to people who are disadvantaged or vulnerable within the community, so we provide a service that is accessible on lots of different levels.”

Mayor Patrick Hall said the services would reach those most in need within Canning.

“The city is a diverse community in many ways and that diversity also means that we must recognise that there are people in our district who are disadvantaged and in need of assistance,” he said.

Black Swan Health operates the Freo Street Doctor service five days a week across various southern suburbs, including Fremantle, Hamilton Hill and Beaconsfield.