Kirketon Road Centre

Telephone: (02) 9360-2766 Fax: (02) 9360-5154

The Kirketon Road Centre (KRC) was established in April 1987 as a NSW State Government initiative following recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Prostitution in NSW (Rogan Report 1986).

The aims of the service are:

To prevent and minimise HIV/AIDS and other transmissible infections (including sexually transmissible infections and hepatitides) among “at risk” young people, sex workers and people who inject drugs.
To treat and care for clients with HIV/AIDS and other transmissible infections among these target populations.

Target Groups

The Kirketon Road Centre targets:

“at risk” young people (clients under 25 years with a street-based lifestyle in Kings Cross)
sex workers
people who inject drugs

Services Provided

KRC operates a comprehensive medical, counselling and social welfare service including methadone access and needle syringe programs from K1 above the Darlinghurst Fire Station. KRC also has a satellite facility K2, which is located at the epicentre of the street-based sex work and drug scene in Kings Cross. K2 provides a needle syringe service, health and social welfare advice, and assessment and referral to drug treatment and other relevant services. KRC also operates a mobile Outreach service, which provides health education, needle syringe service and assessment and referral to drug treatment for hard to reach populations.

Services provided include:

assessment and management of general health issues
sexual health screening, treatment of sexually transmissible infections and sex worker “check ups”
HIV antibody testing / pre and post test discussion
primary care of HIV infection and AIDS-related conditions, with access to antiretroviral therapies
hepatitis A and B screening and vaccination
hepatitis C screening and monitoring of liver function
specialist medical hepatitis C clinic
women’s health checks including Pap smears and breast examination
family planning advice, contraception, pregnancy testing, counselling and referral
medical and psychosocial assessment of transgender issues and specialist referral
drug and alcohol counselling, referral to drug detoxification, treatment and rehabilitation programs
methadone access program and referral
crisis and ongoing counselling for emotional issues
social welfare information, eg housing, income, education and legal information
needle syringe program
outreach program

Contact details and opening hours

Kirketon Road Centre (K1)

Above the Darlinghurst Fire Station, entrance on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010
Postal address: PO Box 22, Kings Cross 1340
Phone: (02) 9360-2766
Fax: (02) 9360-5154

Open

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 10am - 6pm Thursdays 10am - 3pm
Full Service 3pm - 6pm
NSP and methadone dispensing only 6pm - 10pm
L8 Sex Worker Clinic Weekends and Public Holidays 10am - 1.45pm NSP and methadone dispensing only

K2

38 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross 2011
Postal address: PO Box 22, Kings Cross 1340
Phone: (0)2 - 9357 1299
Fax: (0)2 - 9380 2382
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday
1.30pm - 10pm
Thursdays
1.30pm - 2.45pm + 6.15pm - 10pm
Saturdays
1.45 pm - 10pm
Sundays
1.45pm - 5.30pm + 6pm - 8pm

Outreach Services

KRC's outreach bus provides medical, counselling and social welfare services as well as safer sex and injecting equipment 7 nights a week at the following locations.

8pm - 9.30pm, Forbes Street, Woolloomooloo
9.45pm - 10.30pm, Green Park Darlinghurst
10.40pm - 11.30pm, Forbes Street, Woolloomooloo

Youth Clinics

Nurses and counsellors conduct confidential health clinics for young people at the following organisations.

Juanita Nielson Centre

1 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo
Alternate Tuesdays, 4pm - 5.30pm

Oasis Youth Service

Cnr Foveaux and Crown Streets, Surry Hills
Wednesday, 4pm - 5.30pm

Mott Youth Centre

15A Argyle Street, Millers Point
Alternate Fridays, 4pm - 5.30pm

Wayside Chapel

29 Hughes Street, Potts Point
Mondays, 11.30am - 2.30pm

Special Projects

An Aboriginal health education officer is employed to explore and address any specific needs with respect to HIV prevention, sexual health and illicit drug use that Aboriginal clients among KRC’s target populations may have. The Aboriginal worker is also actively involved in community education efforts to sensitise mainstream HIV and drug services to Aboriginal-specific needs, and Aboriginal-specific services to needs with respect to HIV prevention, sexual health and illicit drug use.

KRC conducts a hepatitis C clinic on the first Tuesday of the month. Clients who are hepatitis C positive are assessed by a medical specialist. Services such as hepatitis Genotype and PCR testing, hepatitis C education, and monitoring of liver function are available.

KRC conducts regular education and training sessions for a variety of organisations on request. KRC also conducts a Primary Health Care and Outreach Training course. This course provides training in harm minimisation, basic drug information, blood borne virus transmission, developing outreach skills, occupational health and safety, overdose intervention and child protection issues.

KRC runs a Health Promotion Program which provides health education and promotion activities through all units and services of KRC. The unit conducts these activities as co-ordinated campaigns, providing consistent information and advice to clients through all the services of the Centre. The health promotion program also develops written, multimedia and audio-visual resources appropriate for clients and/or health care workers.

Research and evaluation program. KRC monitors hepatitis C incidence and prevalence, injecting behaviour and service utilisation. KRC also conducts regular needs analyses among its target populations and collaborates with the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Accessing KRC Services

KRC provides an anonymous service and client confidentiality is rigorously maintained. No Medicare card is required for services. Appointments do not need to be made for most clinical services - clients may simply ‘drop in’.

KRC also offers a group room for individuals to explore issues with staff in a more informal setting. The use of the space in this way is seen as part of KRC’s outreach efforts. The group room is also used to conduct special groups (Cooking & Nutrition, Music and Art) and focus groups.

Map

KRC is a satellite facility of Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital, located in Kings Cross. The map (below) shows its location.

Map

KRC Management Unit

Dr Ingrid van Beek (Director)
Tony Jackson (Clinical Services Manager)
Jim Troy (Clerical Unit)
Dr Craig Rodgers (Medical Unit)
Wendy Machin (Projects Manager)
Chris Kerr (Counselling, Outreach, Education)
Kate Salisbury (Nursing Unit)
Jo Northey (Counselling Unit)