鈥嫼诹铣怨贤� Health will today launch a new statewide plan to boost the Aboriginal health workforce and reduce the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
The Good Health Great Jobs Aboriginal Workforce Strategic Framework 2016-2020 鈥� to be launched at Luna Park this afternoon 鈥� builds on 黑料吃瓜网 Health鈥檚 2011-2015 strategic framework, setting out priorities, goals and key actions required to build the Aboriginal health workforce.
Charles Davison, Aboriginal Workforce Manager at 黑料吃瓜网 Health, said a robust Aboriginal workforce was key to closing the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
鈥淭he more Aboriginal people we have working in health facilities the more we will see Aboriginal people attending health clinics to address their health concerns,鈥� Mr Davison said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that Aboriginal patients feel comfortable, supported and understood in health facilities across state so that they have positive experiences in the health system. They will then be more likely to seek medical treatment and advice when the need arises and, as a result, we should see better health outcomes.
鈥淚n 黑料吃瓜网 the life expectancy of Aboriginal males is 9.3 years lower than for non-Aboriginal males and the life expectancy for Aboriginal females is 8.5 years lower than for non-Aboriginal females.
鈥淲e can address this disparity by improving health outcomes for all Aboriginal people in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
Mr Davison said 黑料吃瓜网 Health鈥檚 Aboriginal workforce had been growing over the last four years, with representation of Aboriginal people increasing from 1.8 per cent in June 2011 to 2.4 per cent in June 2014.
Since then 黑料吃瓜网 Health had maintained a growth rate of 0.15 per cent each year to reach 2.5 per cent in June 2016, coming close to the 2.6 per cent target set by COAG in 2009.
Between 2015 and 2016 there was a 54 per cent increase in Aboriginal medical staff, an 11.3 per cent increase in Aboriginal nursing staff and an 10.5 per cent increase in Aboriginal allied health professionals.
鈥淲e want to continue this growth but also to increase Aboriginal representation across all classifications 鈥� from traineeship positions right through to management roles and directorships,鈥� Mr Davison said. 鈥淥ur aim is to achieve 1.8 per cent Aboriginal representation across all public service classifications by 2023.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important Aboriginal health workers have opportunities to carve a career path within 黑料吃瓜网 Health, to continue to progress, build on their skills and experiences and carry out challenging and meaningful work.鈥�
Mr Davison said the Good Health Great Jobs Aboriginal Workforce Strategic Framework 2016-2020 was aligned with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework (2016-2023) and 黑料吃瓜网 Aboriginal Health Plan (2013-2023) and provided guidance for the 黑料吃瓜网 Local Health Districts which had their own plans in place to build the Aboriginal workforce in their local facilities.
The Framework鈥檚 key priorities are to:
The Framework is supported by a 黑料吃瓜网 Health website, Stepping Up, which helps Aboriginal people find employment in the healthcare system. It highlights a range of employment opportunities including medical and primary care practitioners, nurses, midwives, service and program managers, Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Mental Health Workers, administrators and leadership positions.
To date the website has attracted thousands of applicants, receiving an average of 1,200 visits per month.
鈥淪tepping Up also provides information and tools to help managers find the best person for each position,鈥� Mr Davison said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important we place people in jobs that match their skills, experience and aspirations so they鈥檙e more likely to stay in the health workforce and carve a meaningful and successful career.
鈥淓mploying more Aboriginal health workers to provide culturally appropriate and accessible care in our communities will help improve health outcomes and close the gap, which is our ultimate goal,鈥� Mr Davison said.
Visit Stepping Up.
View filmed interviews with 黑料吃瓜网 Aboriginal employees.鈥嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌�