We are excited to share with you the progress in extending and enhancing the health care landscape of people with intellectual disability. 

In 2010-11 the NSW Government funded the initial establishment of three pilot Specialist Intellectual Disability Health Teams (SIDHT) and the ACI Intellectual Disability Health Network.

Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD and Southern NSWLHD each have an Outreach Clinician that support staff to provide care to people with an intellectual disability.

Two teams support the South Eastern NSW PHN region, they include:

South East Sydney Specialist Intellectual Disability Health Team (SES SIDHT) located at St George Hospital.

South East Sydney Specialist Intellectual Disability Health Team (SWS SIDHT) located at Fairfield Community Health Centre in Carramar.

The Specialist Teams aim to better address the health needs of people with an intellectual disability across their lifespan and improve their access to services.

The teams work to:

• Offer a time-limited clinical service to children, teens and adults with an intellectual disability who have complex health conditions and a current unresolved health issue that can’t be addressed through usual care providers and pathways.
• Conduct an assessment, develop a health care plan, coordinate referrals to specialists and support the treating paediatrician or GP to implement and monitor the health care plan.
• Provide capacity building services for mainstream health staff providing care to people with an intellectual disability.

For more information about the services or if you would like to make a referral please contact:

• For GPs in the Illawarra Shoalhaven contact SESLHD SIDHT by calling 8566 1222 or email SESLHD-SpecialistIntellectualDisabilityHealthTeam@health.nsw.gov.au
• For GPs in Southern NSW contact SWSLHD SIDHT by calling 9794 1820 or email S[email protected]