Have your say about health in Lockhart and Wagga Wagga LGAs

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is providing locals living in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lockhart and Wagga Wagga an opportunity to share their stories about health in an effort to better support the community’s health needs.

Residents living in these communities are being asked to share their thoughts via two online surveys on what is important to them about health, and what improvements could be made, as part of MPHN’s Health Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Murrumbidgee region.

A Conversations on the Couch event was scheduled to be held in Lockhart this month however regrettably has been postponed to 2022. All residents of the Wagga Wagga and Lockhart regions are however able to complete the online surveys.

MPHN Acting CEO Julie Redway said the feedback received would help to inform how identified health needs are met in the region.

“Each year we look at the various sources of information available to us about the health of our region including data and feedback from the community, to help us identify any new or emerging needs for us to consider as we plan our activity for 2021 and beyond,” Ms Redway said.

“We already know what data is telling us about the health needs of the Murrumbidgee and it’s important for us to know and understand from locals what people are actually experiencing.”

MPHN’s Senior Manager Population Health Planning and Data Dr Alison Koschel said previous research has highlighted a number of health issues relevant to each of these two LGA communities.

“Our Health Needs Assessment in 2018 showed people in the Lockhart LGA have a higher risk of premature deaths from external causes in females and a higher rate of deaths from cancer. There is a higher incidence of cancer, in particular lung, bowel and breast cancer, as well.” Dr Koschel said.

“For the Wagga Wagga LGA, the Health Needs Assessment in 2018 showed premature deaths for males to be significantly higher than the state average. Deaths from circulatory diseases and ischaemic heart disease, were also higher. The most prominent health risk factors in this LGA are obesity in men and women, use of amphetamines and sexual and domestic assault.”

“HNA Community Feedback is a great opportunity for the people living in the communities of Lockhart and Wagga Wagga Local Government Areas to share their thoughts and views on how we can reduce these risk factors and improve the health of everyone in the community. And the feedback we receive is used to update the health profile for each of these LGAs,” she said.

Locals are encouraged to head to www.mphn.org.au/hna to submit their feedback anytime during the month of August.