LOCAL LIFE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Street Side Medics
by Lorna Gordon
Access to healthcare is something most of us take for granted, but for people experiencing homelessness, going to a GP can be difficult and often it’ s just too hard.
Dr Daniel Nour, 2022 Young Australian of the Year, saw this gap in healthcare and decided to make quality healthcare accessible to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Street Side Medics started in August 2020 as a step towards doing just this.
Fast forward to today, and the organisation has 10 locations across New South Wales and two in Victoria, with its most recent clinic opening its doors in Lalor Park in Blacktown in September.
Street Side Medics offer a wide range of primary healthcare services from its fully equipped mobile medical vans. These include general health check-ups, chronic disease screening, pathology, immunisations, nutritional advice, and even minor surgical procedures. Patients can also receive referrals to specialist care through the charity’ s partnerships with medical sub specialties and allied health professionals who volunteer their expertise free of charge.
The organisation operates with a noturn-away policy. While it bulk bills through Medicare when possible, those without a Medicare card are never refused treatment. Nic Brown, CEO of Street Side Medics took time out to tell me why the not for profit is so important.
“ Access to primary healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet it’ s often out of reach for those who are experiencing homelessness. We’ re here to change that.”
Issues such as cost, transport, documentation, stigma, and previous negative experiences can prevent people from seeking help. Street Side Medics tackles these challenges by showing up at the same place, same time every week, providing care in an environment where patients feel comfortable and respected.
In Blacktown, the clinic operates at Lalor Park. Here they have partnered with the much loved Carevan Blacktown, and the collaboration has already proven to be a success. The work Carevan have put into building trust in the community over its years of service meant the Street Side Medics were accepted from the start, instead of having to build trust from scratch.
“ The community response has been great,” Nic shared.
“ The Carevan team helped spread the word ahead of our launch, which meant our first night was really busy, we saw 15 patients.”
Street Side Medics are at Lalor Park every Tuesday night to offer healthcare to those who need it most.
Partnerships like this are key to building trust. By teaming up with established local organisations and recruiting volunteers who understand their communities, Street Side Medics can reach those who might otherwise slip through the cracks.
Nic encourages local people with a background in the medical field to consider joining the team and giving some time.
“ Our volunteers are the backbone of Street Side Medics, so we welcome all medical professionals who are open to volunteering their time and expertise. As a not for profit organisation, we’ re also very grateful for donations of any amount.” While most of their patients are experiencing homelessness, Street Side Medics welcomes anyone in need of accessible healthcare.
Street Side Medics now runs alongside Carevan Blacktown every Tuesday night from 6:30 – 8:30pm at Lalor Park Community Hall, 1 Freeman Street, Lalor Park.
To learn more, donate, or volunteer, visit streetsidemedics. com. au or follow @ streetsidemedics on social media.
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 56 // NOVEMBER 2025 9