Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) invites Responses for the provision of the Doctors in Secondary Schools (DiSS) in accordance with the requirements of this Request for T013 (RFT).

As part of this procurement activity, we aim to commission Primary Care Service Provider(s) for 5 vacant schools within the Eastern Melbourne PHN catchment. The Doctors in secondary Schools program is a Victorian Government initiative. Students need good health and wellbeing to learn to help students thrive and reach their full potential – in school and in life. However, for some students it can be hard to access a General Practitioner (GP) for a range of reasons.

The Australian-first DiSS program delivers equitable, accessible and professional primary healthcare to those secondary school students who need it most.

The DiSS program funds GPs and Practice Nurses (PN) to provide medical advice and health care to students who need it the most in 100 Victorian Government secondary schools. GPs and PNs attend schools up to one day per week.

The program aims to:

• make primary health care more accessible to students

• assist young people to identify and address any health problems early

• reduce the pressure on working parents.

DiSS GPs provide students with the same services at the school, in a youth friendly environment, as those provided by GPs in the community. This includes management of physical health, mental health and sexual and reproductive health issues as well as referrals to other health services as required.

Through the DiSS program, GPs can deliver services via telehealth when remote service provision is required, and where it is safe and clinically appropriate to do so.

The program provides modern, fit-for-purpose consulting rooms in schools. All secondary school students who are enrolled in a participating school can access the GP, subject to providing the required consent for the services.

Participating schools, students and their parents do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for consultations with the DiSS GP.

Schools receive funding to appoint a School Program Lead (SPL) to coordinate and implement the program.

The program is currently funded until 31 January 2028.

Please ensure you read all parts of the RFT to understand the process for lodging a response.