Dear colleagues,

Improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains a priority for Metro North Health. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team will be leading the development of the Metro North Health Equity Strategy with the support of the Health Service Strategy and Planning team over the next nine months.

It is key that the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is reflected within the strategy. Metro North Health will work closely with all stakeholders and key partners including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector to co-design, co-own and co-implement the Strategy.

The Metro North Health Equity Strategy will develop actions to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including to:

• actively eliminate racial discrimination and institutional racism within the Hospital and Health Service
• acknowledge, understand and decrease the health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and increase access to healthcare services
• influence the social, cultural and economic determinants of health by ensuring self-determination strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are integrated at all levels of placed-based solutions
• co-design, co-implement and co-evaluate sustainable, culturally safe and responsive healthcare services.

The strategy will build on the foundations of the Better Together Health Plan 2019-2022.

For us to be successful in achieving health equity for Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander communities, we must work together. Delivering services differently is essential to address the disparities that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face in the healthcare system.

You may be directly contacted to participate in the development of the strategy over the coming months.

In the interim, if you would like to contribute to this work please email:

Sherry Holzapfel, Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team on

A_TSILT_Exec_MNHHS@health.qld.gov.au or Colleen Jen, Executive Director Health Planning, Strategy and Planning on MNHHS_PlanningStrategy@health.qld.gov.au.

Regards,

Colleen