A MIDLAS lawyer will be present to provide free domestic violence legal support several days a week at St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospital (SJGMPPH) thanks to a new Midland Health Justice partnership.

Supported with a $100,000 Impact100 WA grant, the partnership between Midland Information Debt and Legal Advocacy Services (Midlas) and SJGMPPH provides an early intervention response to the escalating family and domestic violence (FDV) crisis as well as elder abuse in Western Australia.

Midlas, a not-for-profit community legal centre which has been supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence for 35 years, will work closely with the hospital to deliver the new service.

Announcing the partnership last week, Midlas chief executive officer Gaelle Gouillou said with the potential to be replicated in other parts of Western Australia, the initiative, between the only community legal centre in the region and a major hospital, provided an evidence based early and primary prevention response to reduce rising rates of FDV in WA.

Ms Gouillou said it had been consistently identified that people experiencing FDV were more likely to disclose abuse to health care providers.

She said the appalling rise in FDV related deaths and with police reporting a 35 per cent increase in family related offences in 2022, and 15 per cent increase on this figure in the first nine months of 2023, early intervention solutions were needed more than ever.

Ms Gouillou said the region served by Midlas was in desperate need for an increase to the inclusive, accessible and safe legal response service.

The Midland health justice partnership, which supported and complemented screening by clinicians for FDV, had already provided assistance with 23 separate legal issues.