The fourth meeting of the Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel was held in Lismore on 22 May 2024 and was chaired by Dr Richard Colbran, Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Doctors Network. Aunty Leonee Nowta from the Ngunlingah Local Aboriginal Land Council provided a warm Welcome to Country.
The focus for the meeting was strengthening the regional health workforce. The Panel had the opportunity to explore and understand the significant impact of natural disasters, such as flooding and bushfires, and other emergencies on the health workforce and community.
The Hon Ryan Park MP, Minister for Health and Minister for Regional Health attended for a session where the Panel members discussed emerging issues with a focus on the regional workforce and provided their insights.
The Panel heard how the communities of the Northern Rivers area work tirelessly together, particularly during the devastating floods, and how collaborations and partnerships between NSW Health Services, Aboriginal Medical Services, primary care, and research institutions are so important for recovery.
Wayne Jones, the State Health Services Functional Area Coordinator, Scott Monaghan CEO of Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation and Mike Edwards, representing the Rural NSW Natural Disaster and Emergency Stakeholder Group, shared their insights and learnings during a session on disaster preparedness and workforce implications.
The Panel was also provided with an update on progress of the implementation of the Rural Health Inquiry recommendations, particularly the recommendations related to workforce.
A presentation on Rheumatic Heart Disease and workforce enabling collaboration in improving outcomes for Aboriginal people was delivered by Kirsty Glanville, Executive Director Aboriginal Health and Emma-Jane Davies, Nurse Manager from Northern NSW Local Health District. They shared the outcomes from this collaboration which is achieving success in diagnosing Rheumatic Heart Disease in Aboriginal people. The Panel saw how aspects of the model could be adapted for diagnosing and building awareness for early intervention of other health conditions.
Panel members also visited the University Centre for Rural Health and met with Professor Vicki Flood and staff to discuss their latest research and workforce connections with Northern NSW Local Health District. Topics discussed included the health care needs of rural communities with a focus on Aboriginal health, aged care, and the intersection of climate change and health.
The next meeting will be held in July and will have a focus on Aboriginal Health.