Students need good health and wellbeing to learn, thrive and reach their full potential – in school and in life. For some students, accessing a General Practitioner (GP) can be challenging for a range of reasons.
The DiSS program, funded by the Department of Education, aims to provide equitable, accessible and professional primary health care services to students in secondary schools. The program complements existing student wellbeing programs aimed at improving health literacy and encouraging preventive health.
Program objectives are to:
- make primary health care more accessible to students
- provide assistance to young people to identify and address any health problems early
- reduce the pressure on working parents and community-based GPs.
In the Gippsland region, the DiSS program has been servicing nine schools since late 2017. Since then and up to 31 December 2024, there have been a total of 5,951 appointments made to see the ‘DiSS GP’ across these Gippsland schools.
The program has developed into an integral part of school life for students accessing the DiSS service. Quality and accessible health care is provided by dedicated health professionals, experienced in working with youth.
School staff who support the program and the general practice staff who deliver the program, have developed a collaborative team approach.
In 2025, two vacancies are currently available for general practices in the Gippsland region to deliver primary care services to secondary schools:
Warragul Regional College is situated in West Gippsland. Warragul Regional College has enrolment numbers of approximately 800 students and has whole-of-school year levels on their campus, which provides all students across year levels with access to a DiSS GP and Practice Nurse on the nominated school day for a DiSS clinic.
Maffra Secondary College is a rural 7-12 college, situated in the town of Maffra, which is located two and half hours from Melbourne but within an hour’s drive of both the sea and the mountains. Student enrolment numbers are approximately 600 and the majority of students travel to and from the school by bus from neighbouring towns.
Maffra Secondary College is a whole of year level campus which provides students across all levels with access to the DiSS GP and Practice nurse on the nominated school day for a DiSS clinic.
If your general practice is community and youth-centred and would like more information on how to become involved in the delivery of general practice services into the Doctors in Secondary Schools Program, please email: Diss@gphn.org.au
To submit an expression of interest, please complete the EOI form by 5pm Monday, 31 March 2025: https://gphn.foliogrc.com/contracts/new?contract_template=273&token=mpVfeyXhkrqUs8Hp78yS
Further program information can be found here.
