The number of occasions of service for First Nations people, per 1,000 population, under the Rural Health Outreach Fund: Measure 4.4.2
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Outreach programs are designed to address the uneven distribution of the health workforce and to improve access to eye health services across Australia. Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) services are provided in Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and Very remote areas only. (Figure 61 and Figure 62)
Latest data and time trend
In 2022–23, 1,380 occasions of eye health services for First Nations patients were provided under the RHOF. In 2013–14, there were 5,920 First Nations eye health occasions of service under the RHOF. This number increased to reach 8,652 in 2015–16, before declining overall to 1,380 in 2022–23 (Figure 61).
Figure 61: Occasions of eye health services – RHOF, 2011–12 to 2022–23
Note: Data includes patients seen by the following health professionals: Aboriginal Health Worker – Eye Health, Optometry, Physician – Ophthalmology and Surgery – retinal.
Source: Department of Health and Aged Care (unpublished).
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 62.
By remoteness
In 2022–23, the number of First Nations occasions of eye health services under the RHOF was highest in Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (997) and lowest in Remote and very remote areas (combined) (383). The rate was the same in Remote and very remote areas (combined) and Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (both 2.5 per 1,000) (Figure 62 – remoteness).
By jurisdiction
In 2022–23, the number of First Nations eye health occasions of service under the RHOF was highest in New South Wales (588), followed by Western Australia (266). The rate was highest in Western Australia (4.1 per 1,000) followed by New South Wales (3.7 per 1,000) (Figure 62 – jurisdiction).
Time trend by jurisdiction
In all states, apart from Victoria, occasions of service under the RHOF fluctuated but fell overall between 2014–15 and 2022–23. The decline in occasions of service was particularly steep in Western Australia, from 70.3 per 1,000 in 2014–15 to 4.1 per 1,000 in 2022–23. In Victoria, occasions of service remained relatively stable, between 1.0 and 2.0 per 1,000 between 2014–15 and 2022–23 (Figure 62 – time trend by jurisdiction).
Figure 62: Occasions of eye health services – Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF): interactive data
The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.
State: PHN name, PHN, PHN type, Number of occasions of service, Per 1,000 (crude)
NSW
Western NSW, PHN107, Regional, 585, 14.9
Murrumbidgee, PHN110, Regional, n.p., 0.2
Hunter New England and Central Coast, PHN108, Regional, 0, 0
NT
Northern Territory, PHN701, Regional, 265, 3.3
Qld
Western Queensland, PHN305, Regional, 113, 8.3
Darling Downs and West Moreton, PHN304, Regional, 31, 0.9
Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, PHN306, Regional, 0, 0
Northern Queensland, PHN307, Regional, 0, 0
SA
Country SA, PHN402, Regional, 34, 1.5
Tas
Tasmania, PHN601, Regional, 45, 1.4
Vic
Western Victoria, PHN206, Regional, 20, 1.8
Murray, PHN205, Regional, 18, 1
Gippsland, PHN204, Regional, 0, 0
WA
Country WA, PHN503, Regional, 266, 4.5
State: Year No. of occasions of service Per 1,000
NSW
2014–15 748 6.1
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 915 7.1
2017–18 762 5.3
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 1,108 7.3
2020–21 785 5.1
2021–22 684 4.4
2022–23 588 3.7
Vic
2014–15 27 1
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 23 0.8
2017–18 33 1.6
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 38 1.3
2020–21 42 1.4
2021–22 61 2
2022–23 38 1.1
Qld
2014–15 401 2.8
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 478 3.2
2017–18 1,052 7.2
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 334 2.1
2020–21 170 1.1
2021–22 111 0.7
2022–23 144 0.9
WA
2014–15 4,060 70.3
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 2,345 39.3
2017–18 2,258 37.6
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 1,936 30.5
2020–21 1,214 19
2021–22 589 9.2
2022–23 266 4.1
SA
2014–15 584 29.4
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 458 22.3
2017–18 378 18.6
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 49 2.3
2020–21 25 1.1
2021–22 51 2.3
2022–23 34 1.5
Tas
2014–15 196 16.5
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 50 1.8
2017–18 90 3.3
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 84 2.8
2020–21 78 2.5
2021–22 57 1.9
2022–23 45 1.4
NT
2014–15 1,813 24.9
2015–16 n.a. n.a.
2016–17 3,596 47.9
2017–18 3,248 43.6
2018–19 n.a. n.a.
2019–20 2,361 30.2
2020–21 682 8.8
2021–22 243 3.1
2022–23 265 3.3