Families and carers of children encouraged to share health needs

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is asking people who care for children across the region to complete a quick, confidential health survey.

MPHN is seeking feedback on the specific health needs of families and children, including pregnant women, and carers of children aged 0-16 years to incorporate into its 2023 update of the Health Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Murrumbidgee.

Chief Data Officer Dr Jason Bennie said it was critical for the MPHN to understand the health needs of families and children.

“We want to ensure we’re capturing feedback from those who might be able to contribute to our understanding of what health needs there are for children from birth to teenage years and for women who are pregnant. What the data is showing us is that across the Murrumbidgee, we have a higher representation of teenage mothers, smoking in pregnancy, and high pockets of children who have been identified as developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains, compared to the state average,” Dr Bennie said.

“For our planning for future health programs and initiatives for child and maternal health, feedback directly from those who are accessing supports to care for children and mothers both during and post pregnancy is critical.”

“While we’re encouraging families or carers of children to complete the survey, we’re happy for all community members to share their views and experiences on health, and help guide positive improvements for health and wellbeing in the Murrumbidgee region.”

Families, carers of children and community members can complete the HNA Community Feedback survey at mphn.org.au/hna.