The number of occasions of service for First Nations people, per 1,000 population, under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS): Measure 4.4.1
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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. (Figure 59 and Figure 60).
Latest data and time trend
In 2022–23, there were 32,001 occasions of service for First Nations patients and 22,550 for other patients under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS). In 2009–10, there were 6,975 occasions of service for First Nations patients under the VOS. This increased to 32,001 in 2022–23 ( 59). In 2022–23, First Nations people had 9,451 more occasions of service under the VOS than other Australian patients. VOS occasions of service have been higher for First Nations people than other Australians since 2016–17.
Figure 59: Occasions of eye health services – VOS, 2009–10 to 2022–23
Note: Data are crude rates.
Source: Department of Health and Aged Care (unpublished).
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 60.
By remoteness
The rate of First Nations occasions of service under the VOS in 2022–23 was highest in Remote and very remote areas (combined) (106.9 per 1,000) followed by Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (25.7 per 1,000) (Figure 60 – remoteness).
By jurisdiction
In 2022–23, the rate of First Nations occasions of service under the VOS differed by jurisdiction. Rates were highest in the Northern Territory (72.3 per 1,000) and Queensland (45.4 per 1,000). The number of First Nations occasions of service was highest in Queensland (11,594), followed by New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (combined) 7,692 (Figure 60 – jurisdiction).
By Primary Health Network
In 2022–23, the number of occasions of service for First Nations patients under the VOS ranged from 0 in Perth North, Adelaide, Nepean Blue Mountains, Brisbane South and Brisbane North to 5,740 in the Northern Territory. The rate of occasions of service ranged from 0 per 1,000 in Perth North, Adelaide, Nepean Blue Mountains, Brisbane South and Brisbane North to around 184 per 1,000 in Gold Coast (Figure 60 – geography).
Figure 60: Occasions of eye health services – Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS): interactive data
The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.
Year First Nations Other
2009–10 6,975 23,470
2010–11 8,298 27,757
2011–12 11,726 23,971
2012–13 16,682 20,571
2013–14 20,151 22,151
2014–15 18,890 20,045
2015–16 18,979 20,133
2016–17 24,511 21,436
2017–18 29,161 22,666
2018–19 25,849 20,866
2019–20 22,089 18,299
2020–21 26,459 22,676
2021–22 24,992 21,401
2022–23 32,001 22,550
State: PHN name, PHN, PHN type, Number of occasions of service, Per 1,000 (crude)
ACT
Australian Capital Territory, PHN801, Metropolitan, 218, 24.2
NSW
Central and Eastern Sydney, PHN101, Metropolitan, 474, 27.3
Hunter New England and Central Coast, PHN108, Regional, 1546, 16.1
Murrumbidgee, PHN110, Regional, 80, 5
Nepean Blue Mountains, PHN104, Metropolitan, 0, 0
North Coast, PHN109, Regional, 875, 25.3
Northern Sydney, PHN102, Metropolitan, 66, 14.6
South Eastern NSW, PHN106, Regional, 538, 18
South Western Sydney, PHN105, Metropolitan, 483, 20.5
Western NSW, PHN107, Regional, 3249, 83
Western Sydney, PHN103, Metropolitan, 107, 6
NT
Northern Territory, PHN701, Regional, 5740, 72.3
Qld
Brisbane North, PHN301, Metropolitan, 0, 0
Brisbane South, PHN302, Metropolitan, 0, 0
Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, PHN306, Regional, 1026, 24.3
Darling Downs and West Moreton, PHN304, Regional, 1193, 33.1
Gold Coast, PHN303, Metropolitan, 2737, 184
Northern Queensland, PHN307, Regional, 4324, 51.7
Western Queensland, PHN305, Regional, 2314, 170.8
SA
Adelaide, PHN401, Metropolitan, 0, 0
Country SA, PHN402, Regional, 2085, 89.7
Tas
Tasmania, PHN601, Regional, 247, 7.8
Vic
Eastern Melbourne, PHN202, Metropolitan, 95, 10.1
Gippsland, PHN204, Regional, 216, 35.2
Murray, PHN205, Regional, 216, 11.5
North Western Melbourne, PHN201, Metropolitan, 98, 6.8
South Eastern Melbourne, PHN203, Metropolitan, 35, 3.4
Western Victoria, PHN206, Regional, 156, 14.1
WA
Country WA, PHN503, Regional, 3805, 63.7
Perth North, PHN501, Metropolitan, 0, 0
Perth South, PHN502, Metropolitan, 78, 2.6
State: Year, No. of occasions of service, Per1,000
NSW
2014–15, 3,438, 15.4
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 6,278, 27
2017–18, 6,778, 28.6
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 5,071, 17.9
2020–21, 6,358, 21.4
2021–22, 5,889, 19.4
2022–23, 7,692, 24.9
Vic
2014–15, 981, 19
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 1,362, 25.1
2017–18, 963, 17.3
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 906, 14.4
2020–21, 998, 15.5
2021–22, 982, 14.8
2022–23, 760, 11.2
Qld
2014–15, 6,498, 31.6
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 6,684, 31
2017–18, 6,843, 30.9
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 6,397, 26.8
2020–21, 8,227, 33.7
2021–22, 8,752, 35
2022–23, 11,594, 45.4
WA
2014–15, 1,950, 20.6
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 3,096, 31.4
2017–18, 4,586, 45.5
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 4,108, 38
2020–21, 4,063, 37.2
2021–22, 2,925, 26.3
2022–23, 3,883, 43.5
SA
2014–15, 916, 22.8
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 1,177, 28.1
2017–18, 1,177, 27.5
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 1,068, 23.5
2020–21, 1,494, 32.4
2021–22, 1,743, 37.1
2022–23, 2,085, 34.3
Tas
2014–15, 38, 1.5
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 23, 0.8
2017–18, 61, 2.2
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 163, 5.4
2020–21, 170, 5.6
2021–22, 168, 5.4
2022–23, 247, 7.8
NT
2014–15, 5,069, 69.6
2015–16, n.a., n.a.
2016–17, 5,891, 78.4
2017–18, 8,753, 114.8
2018–19, n.a., n.a.
2019–20, 4,376, 56
2020–21, 5,149, 66.1
2021–22, 4,533, 57.6
2022–23, 5,740, 72.3