The Refugee Health Flexible Fund for 2021-22 to 2022-23 supports healthcare for people from refugee backgrounds across NSW.

NSW Health has funded 15 projects to support priorities set out in the NSW Refugee Health Plan 2022-2027. The projects share a common purpose, that is, to ensure access to timely, culturally responsive and trauma-informed healthcare services for people from refuge and asylum seeker backgrounds.

The projects address local and statewide needs, including in regional NSW, through targeted strategies to enhance:

  • service access for oral health and mental health
  • health communication
  • care coordination/navigation
  • cancer screening
  • women's health
  • paediatrics and child health
  • coordination of referral pathways between mainstream and specialised services
  • capacity building for health staff around cultural responsiveness and trauma-informed care
  • as well as allied health supports for refugee health services.

A key feature of the fund and the projects is enhancing collaboration across NSW Health, as well as with partners and communities.

NSW Health has engaged Dr Ilse Blignault to support four forums to foster collaboration, promote knowledge exchange and learning across the projects. Dr Blignault will also undertake a review of the overall project. The review of the fund will be completed in the second half of 2023.

NSW Health will use this webpage as a hub for recordings of the forums, as well as new resources, literature reviews, and evaluations, which have been supported through the fund and will be a lasting resource for refugee health.

Forums

The first online forum on 2nd November 2022 had three objectives:

  • to bring together the 15 project teams to introduce their initiatives, build and strengthen connections and encourage networking
  • to share process, outcomes and lessons to date from selected projects
  • to showcase the range of work being undertaken to interested stakeholders.

This forum featured extended presentations by the Agency for Clinical Innovation (project completed), Hunter New England LHD, Mindgardens and the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service.

The second online forum was held on 5 April 2023, and featured extended presentations by the Cancer Institute NSW, Centre for Oral Health Strategy, Mid North Coast, Northern NSW and South Western Sydney Local Health Districts. Projects discussed included initiatives to increase rates of cancer screening, enhance oral health services, regional refugee and multicultural health services, as well a project with volunteers to enhance culturally responsive healthcare in South Western Sydney.

The third online forum will be held in August 2023.

A final in-person forum to discuss promising practices and overall learnings for the Fund is scheduled for February 2024.

Resources

Project websites

Project evaluations and reports

Armidale Refugee Health Program, Evaluation Report

Guides and tools

Literature reviews

Journal articles

New translations in refugee languages

Translated health resources for refugee communities, Multicultural Health Communication Service

NSW Health would like to thank all the staff from local health districts and networks, partners and communities, for the important work you are doing to improve health services for people from refugee backgrounds.


Current as at: Friday 26 May 2023