Doubt over school docs

Minister silent on program’s expansion

THE State Government is refusing to say if it will expand a popular Doctors in Secondary Schools program in Geelong despite students flocking to the service in big numbers.

Doctors and principals have said the program has been able to meet the growing health needs of adolescents, with students seeking help for diverse issues ranging from mental health to physical injuries.

The Doctors in Secondary Schools program operates at three Geelong schools and involves a GP attending medical concerns once a week.

Although it has been running less than a year, schools have seen big demand for the service, with appointments at one school booked out a month in advance.

But Education Minister James Merlino will not be drawn on whether he intends to expand the program.

Mr Merlino also did not say whether the Government would commit to funding the program beyond 2021 if it is reelected in November.

The three schools benefiting from the program are North Geelong, Geelong and Newcomb.

They are among 100 schools around the state who were selected based on the specific health needs of students.

Geelong High School principal Ken Stewart said the program had helped fill gaps in student healthcare.

“I think the thing about our school is our students come from a whole range of different areas, and some are rural,” Mr Stewart said.

“By the time they get home on the bus, they don’t necessarily have access to a GP.

“In a lot of cases, their parents are working as well. So for those kids, it’s a fantastic opportunity.”

He said the visiting doctor was booked out four weeks in advance and hoped the program would become permanent.

General practitioner Bianca Forrester, who attends North Geelong Secondary College once a week, said doctors were being kept busy helping students with a range of physical and psychosocial issues.

Dr Forrester said young people generally faced barriers in accessing primary care, which meant there was a major gap in meeting their health needs.

“Young people attend, in general, because they recognise that common issues facing adolescents — such as stress and anxiety — may be impacting upon their school attendance or performance,” she said.

“Through supported and easy access to primary care on the school grounds, students may be able to present early in the course of their illness or problem behaviour, and complete cycles of care with minimal interruption to schooling.”

The Education Department has also refused to release a data breakdown on the nature of student presentations.