Tuesday, 13 September 2022

The team from Population and Community Heath’s Kirketon Road Centre (KRC) has collaborated with Uniting to open a new free clinic in Kings Cross providing high quality, compassionate medical care to people who use drugs.

Dr Phillip Read, Director Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Services, said the KRC Kellett Street Clinic – located above the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre – is an amazing opportunity to integrate clinical, social and harm reduction services for clients who have difficulty accessing medical care.

“While the new service offers a wide range of primary healthcare services, it also has a focus on HIV and hepatitis C testing and treatments, our needle and syringe program, general health care, counselling and housing support,” Dr Read said. “We have created a bright, fresh space that has been co-designed with our consumers in mind, to enhance access to healthcare for this group.”

Dr Marianne Jauncey, Medical Director, Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, said the team are delighted their clients now have easier access to high quality, non-judgemental primary care.

“We know that co-location and reduced barriers to services improve outcomes for marginalised groups and that means we have greater chances in successful referrals for things like treatment for opiate dependence, and curing hepatitis C amongst other things, as well as improving COVID-19 vaccination in our clients,” Dr Jauncey said. “Staff are thrilled to be able to offer our clients real, viable, practical access to the care they need, and are hopeful this will also lead to improved access to other specialist services.”