Provided There's Transport: Transport as a Barrier to Accessing Health Care in NSW

Transport plays a vital role in enabling access to healthcare. Yet for many people, it is a major barrier; impacting their ability to receive the health care they need. Over the last decade and a half, the lack of support for health transport has been regularly identified as a significant gap in the health system. It is of particular concern to the community services sector working on behalf of people experiencing disadvantage in NSW, and for organisations supporting people with chronic illness.

In 2012, following consistent reports from the social and community services sector highlighting health transport as an ongoing and growing concern, NCOSS (Council of Social Service of NSW) hosted two health transport workshops in Sydney and Lismore to examine the current state of play. Attended by representatives from health services, government departments, community transport groups, and other non-government organisations, these workshops confirmed that for the people who most need transport assistance, there has been little real change. This report by NCOSS documents the issues raised during these workshops and draws on the existing literature to demonstrate that the key issues relating to health transport have not been addressed, and provides recommendations towards a more efficient and equitable health transport system. (APO 30th January 2013)