The service is partly funded by the Gandevia Foundation.
The service sees clients who would not otherwise access legal assistance and whose legal issues significantly exacerbate their disadvantage.
There is a significant gap between the health status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It is these factors that the service is working to address.
The legal service provides assistance with a range of legal issues such as tenancy, welfare, debt, family law, care and protection and in particular domestic violence.
Patients can be referred to the service by their health professional, and are provided direct assistance by an RLC solicitor working on site at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
RLC utilises the relationship that patients have with their health professional by training hospital staff to identify legal issues and referring patients to the legal clinic.
In turn the service assists health professionals by allowing them to focus on their core work, leaving legal issues to our solicitor.
The Health-Justice Partnership works to address the multiple disadvantage experienced by vulnerable people that leads to compounded health and legal issues.
These ‘social determinants’ of health can be summarised as where you live, how you live and whom you live with. Legal remedies can address and improve these factors.
For example, If a person is living in a tenancy that is causing them ill health, such as inadequate ventilation, mould or access issues, the legal remedy can be having repairs done to their property, creating better long term health.
Since launching in May, the service has seen over 40 clients. The RLC and RPAH Health-Justice partnership is the first of it’s kind in NSW.
The clinic operates Tuesdays and Thursdays.
