In case of emergency, please call triple zero (000)

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Table of Contents
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Introduction

Health services in regional and remote NSW: If you live in a regional area, there might be challenges to accessing doctors and health services. Sometimes there are fewer medical services in your area or you may have to wait longer to see a doctor.


How to find a service

Regional areas are diverse. You may live in an area with access to many services, or you may live in a small town where you need to travel a long way to access a doctor or a specialised health service.

Local Health Districts connect all public health services in NSW. Each area of NSW is supported by a different local health district. You can contact your local health district to get advice on what health services are available to you.

You can also speak to your local youth service or health service to find out about what other services are available to young people in your area. There may also be local services that can support you in different areas of your life.

Knowing where the local hospital is, how long it takes to get there, and how you can travel there can be helpful if something happens to you.

It is also useful to know when and how often the local doctor visits your area. If it’s a life-threatening situation, you should call triple zero (000).

Travel and Accommodation services

If you live in a regional area and need to see a specialist doctor in another area or city, you might be able to get financial support to help pay for travel and accommodation. This will help you pay for costs during your treatment. To find out if you are eligible, visit Enable NSW (IPTAAS).

Visiting the doctor

It can be difficult visiting the doctor or a health service in a rural area. It might be a small community and you may be concerned about your privacy or feel embarrassed about what you need to see the doctor about.

It’s important to know that doctors are legally obliged to keep your information private.

It’s your right to confidential (private) healthcare. But if you still feel uncomfortable you can access services in a different town, online or over the phone.

Another way to approach feeling awkward visiting a doctor in your town is to have a discussion with them about your privacy, ask them what will happen if you share private information with them and why you feel uncomfortable. You can also get support from your local youth centre.

For more information see Visiting the doctor.

If you want to learn more about services in your area:

  • Visit or call your local community facility, such as library, community or neighbourhood centre or youth service
  • Health Direct: have an online search for health services in your area
  • Local Health District: visit your LHD website for programs in your area
  • Australian Indigenous Health Info Net: have an interactive map of the Community Controlled Services that are available in NSW
  • QLife: have an Australia-wide anonymous, LGBTIQA+ peer support community referral database
  • Resources and Services: for a directory of NSW wide health services including online and over the phone support

Online and over the phone health services

You might choose to access services over the phone or online if you can’t travel to the nearest town to visit a doctor or want to keep your health issue private.

For some specialist appointments, you might be able to use telehealth, especially if it’s far away.

If you would like to book a telehealth appointment, contact your local health service to talk through it. If telehealth is available in your area the specialist or health service can organise an appointment for you.

If you have a health issue that is not life threatening, it might be helpful to access a health service over the phone or online.

If you want to find out more about online health options, visit our Resources and Services directory.

Frequently asked questions

Got more questions? We’ve got you covered. Here are some commonly asked queries about this topic to help you understand it better. Remember, no question is too small or too big – we’re here to help!

What challenges might I face accessing health services in regional areas?
Fewer medical services and longer wait times to see a doctor are common challenges​.
Contact your local health district or visit their website to learn about the available services​.
Financial support for travel and accommodation might be available through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS)
Discuss your privacy concerns with the doctor or access services in a different town, online, or over the phone​.
Telehealth for specialist appointments, and various online resources are available for non-urgent assistance and mental health support​.
Visit or call local community facilities, or use online platforms like Health Direct and Australian Indigenous Health Info Net to find health services in your area​.
Family Planning Australia provides support for sexual health and pregnancy, contactable at 1300 658 886 (M-F 8.30am to 5pm)​.
Call Triple Zero (000) in life-threatening situations​.
Contact the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health at 1800 011 511 or Lifeline at 13 11 14 for mental health support​.
Health Direct, Lifeline, and the Resources and Services page on Ask for Health are good resources for various health-related support and advice​.

Need emergency assistance?

As the peak body for young people and youth services in NSW, Youth Action does not provide direct referrals to support services. If you are in distress or require urgent assistance, the following support lines are available.

If there’s immediate risk of harm to yourself or other, please call:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (Crisis & Suicide prevention support 24/7)

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 (Mental health support 24/7) 

Link2Home: 1800 152 152 (For those experiencing homelessness 24/7)

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (24/7)

ParentLine: 1300 1300 52 (9am to 9pm weekdays, 4pm to 9pm weekends)