Yorke and Northern Local Health Network Service Planning

The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network will develop 5-10 year service plans for Yorke and Northern communities.

Health service planning aims to improve service delivery and system performance to best meet the local population's health needs. It includes aligning the delivery of existing health services to meet the changing demand patterns and use of services. In addition, it aims to make the most effective use of available and future health resources (funding, staff and infrastructure).

A dedicated Service Planning Steering Group oversees the development of each Yorke and Northern Health Service Plan. The Steering Group includes local health professionals and community representatives. Through significant engagement with a range of key stakeholders, the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network develops Service Plans explicitly tailored to each community.

Service Plans

Balaklava Service Plan Updates

Yorke Peninsula Service Plan Update

In July 2025, a Steering Group commenced co-design of a comprehensive 2026-2031 Service Plan for Yorke Peninsula Hospitals, residential and community aged care, and mental health services.

Through monthly meetings, the Steering Group has reviewed population trends, service activity data, and insights gathered from community members and health providers.

Community engagement

Valuable community input has been gathered through a range of engagement activities, including:

  • 116 people who dropped in to “Have Your Say” sessions held in Minlaton, Wallaroo, and Ardrossan
  • 120 people who attended the Yorke Peninsula Field Days
  • A public meeting in Yorketown
  • Various targeted key community focus groups
  • 97 online and hardcopy community surveys with drop boxes in pharmacies, supermarkets, hospitals, and medical centres across the Yorke Peninsula.

In addition, a health provider workshop held in Maitland engaged 58 participants, focusing on emergency care, medical inpatients, mental health and aged care. A follow up online session attracted a further 22 health providers.

The Steering Group sincerely thanks all community members and health professionals for their time, insights, and contributions.

Key insights received to date   

Feedback raised consistently across engagement activities includes:

  • Mental Health: Demand for more local mental health services, especially for youth.
  • Telehealth: People are comfortable with telehealth but are limited by connectivity issues.
  • Prevention & Rehabilitation: Call for early intervention, wellbeing programs, chronic disease screening and management, and rehabilitation options.
  • Specialist Services: Desire for more visiting specialists to reduce travel.
  • Staffing: Challenges in recruiting healthcare professionals.
  • Communication: Need for better information sharing between services.
  • Transport: Requests for improved transport options for healthcare access.
  • Service Navigation: Support for navigating aged care, disability services, referrals and digital tools such as telehealth and online forms.
  • Service Information: Need for clearer information about availability and access to health services.
  • Accommodation Support: Requirement for onsite staff accommodation options.
  • Allied Health: Need for more allied health services particularly for chronic conditions and disability services.
  • Patient Journey: Challenges with transfers between hospitals, discharge planning, continuity of care, and the need to repeat information due to provider changes.

This feedback is now being integrated into the planning process.

Next steps

The draft Yorke Peninsula Service Plan is scheduled to be finalised in May 2026, with formal endorsement anticipated in mid‑2026. The Steering Group thanks the community for its continued engagement and support in shaping services that strengthen the health and wellbeing of the Yorke Peninsula.