| Northern Health is constantly building and strengthening relationships with the community - both with consumers and with local service providers. Northern Health values consumer participation for several reasons.
Studies have shown that it can improve health and wellbeing. It is linked to quality accreditation, and it's considered a critical factor in the ongoing sustainability of the organisation.
At a corporate level, the Northern Health Community Advisory Committee provides the links with consumers in the Northern Health catchment area. This Committee offers a consumer perspective, providing advice to the Board on issues such as access policies, the Quality of Care report, Strategic Plan, public transport, a variety of campus based health services, and processes for ensuring consumer participation.
Relationships with local service providers continue to be strengthened through work at a campus level, a corporate level and through individual initiatives. The Primary Care and Population Health Advisory Committee provides a formal link between primary care service providers and the Board. This year the Committee has undergone a review to refocus on a population health approach to service planning with continued collaborative working relationships between all service providers in the Northern Health catchment area.
Individual initiatives, particularly those funded through the Hospital Admission Risk Program have created opportunities to deliver services jointly with primary care providers. This has resulted not only in more services but also greater coordination in delivery of all health services from a consumer perspective.
Northern Health Community Participation Action Plan 2006-2009 |
