The Children’s Health Queensland Health Equity
Strategy 2022-2025 Implementation Plan sets
out three-years of proposed activities with
integrated performance measures to monitor
our progress, to achieve health equity and to
improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and young people.
The Implementation Plan was developed through the voices
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across
Queensland, including consumers, families, carers, workforce,
Elders, young people, and the broader community.
Children’s Health Queensland patient
population
In 2021-2022, approximately 7,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander patients had contact with Children’s Health Queensland,
across its services; Child and Youth Community Services (9.6%),
Child and Youth Mental Health Services (8.7%), inpatients (8.4%)
and outpatients (6.7%). In 2021-2022, the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander population in Queensland was 4.7% and of that
45% were aged between 0-19 years.
Aligned frameworks
Key frameworks and strategies will be utilised, leveraged
and reviewed annually to ensure we work together to achieve
outcomes:
Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service
Strategic Plan 2020-2024 and Operational Plan 2021-22
South East Queensland First Nations Health Equity Strategy
National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020 and
Queensland’s 2021 Closing the Gap Implementation Plan
Queensland Government Response to the Treaty Advancement
Committee Report 2022
Addressing Institutional Barriers to Health Equity for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander People in Queensland’s Public
Hospital and Health Services
Growing Deadly Families – Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Maternity Services Strategy 2019-2025
Governance and accountability
The Children’s Health Queensland Board is accountable for the
Health Equity Strategy’s outcomes and performance measures
will be included in the organisation’s health service agreement.
The Executive Leadership Team are accountable for the effective
leadership, implementation, and progress.
The Health Equity Strategy Steering Committee (HESSC) includes
prescribed stakeholders as defined by the Hospital and Health
Boards Regulation 2021 and is responsible for the effective
governance of the Health Equity Strategy and Implementation
Plan, ensuring community and stakeholder co-design,
engagement, visibility, assurance and performance within agreed
timelines. The HESSC is represented by a majority of Aboriginal
and or Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Health Equity Team will
have oversight of the Implementation Plan and is responsible
for monitoring progress, providing advice and reporting on
performance. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equity
is a whole of organisation commitment and a strategic priority for
Children’s Health Queensland, embedded in the Strategic Plan
2020-2024 and annual operational plans.
Reporting on progress and performance
Progress against actions and performance measures scorecard
will be reported quarterly to the Board, Health Service Executive
Committee (Board sub-committee), Executive Leadership Team,
People and Governance, staff and HESSC. It will also be reported
to the Research Committee (Board sub-committee) six monthly. A
performance measures scorecard will be published annually and
shared with stakeholders and the First Nations Health Officer,
Queensland Health. The Implementation Plan will be reviewed
and updated annually, responding to changes and priorities,
emerging needs, data and performance measure analysis,
ensuring continuous quality improvement.
Although there are limitations to available data and performance
measures, Children’s Health Queensland is committed to
reporting and developing new measures that are strengths-based,
meaningful and provide an understanding of the ‘why.’
Implementation
The Implementation Plan will be operationalised across all service
areas and systems through the development of local action plans
and or embedding implementation within current Divisional
planning processes. Programs will take steps to culturally
consider, engage and respond to the needs of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander families improving the healthcare
experience. Eliminating institutional racism is a priority in Year 1.
Implementation Plan actions
Actions have been developed against each of the Health Equity
Strategy’s six Key Priority Areas (KPAs):
KPA 1. Actively eliminate racial discrimination
and institutional racism within health
services (institutional racism)
KPA 2. Increase equitable access to healthcare
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples (access)
KPA 3. Influence the social, cultural and
economic determinants of health (social
determinants)
KPA 4. Deliver sustainable, culturally safe
and responsive healthcare services
(cultural care)
KPA 5. Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people to design, deliver,
monitor and review health services
(shared ownership)
KPA 6. Strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander workforce (workforce)
Actions begin in the year they are listed, Year 1 (2022-2023),
Year 2 (2023-2024) and Year 3 (2024-2025) and are based on
priorities and sequencing to provide the progressive achievement
of outcomes. Each set of actions aligns to relevant deliverables
from the Health Equity Strategy’s (pages 26-37) “We will know
we are successful when…” Further planning details will be
developed from Implementation Plan consultation (accountable
leads, baseline data and targets and costings).