The Refugee Health Flexible Fund for 2021-22 to 2022-23 supported healthcare for people from refugee backgrounds across NSW.
NSW Health funded 15 projects to support priorities set out in the NSW Refugee Health Plan 2022-2027. The projects shared 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 addressed local and statewide needs, including in regional NSW, through targeted strategies to enhance:
A key feature of the fund and the projects was to enhance collaboration across NSW Health, as well as with partners and communities.
NSW Health engaged Dr Ilse Blignault to support four forums to foster collaboration, promote knowledge exchange and learning across the projects.
A Refugee Health Flexible Fund forums webpage includes links to recordings and summaries of the forums. In addition, new resources are online, including tools, literature reviews, and evaluations, which have been supported through the fund and are a lasting resource for refugee health.
Dr Blignault conducted a review of the fund and produced a Review Report with Project Summaries. The Review found that the Fund successfully addressed goals and priorities in the NSW Refugee Health Plan, and it resulted in numerous benefits for people from refugee backgrounds and for NSW Health services and staff.
