Sydney West Area Health Service has a Multicultural Access First (MAF) committee that aims to address the key issues of access and equity for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities within service delivery and planning. The committee seeks to ensure that decision making within the Area Health Service reflects the needs of the diverse community it serves.
Local Migrant Access Committees (MACs)
Local MACs have been established in hospital and community health settings in SWAHS. The role of the MACs is to monitor the implementation of EAPS. Local MACs are responsible for reviewing the progress of units in meeting EAPS obligations, reporting quarterly to unit executives and management committees and preparing quarterly and annual EAPS plans and reports for the MAF.
Each local MAC aims to promote and coordinate service access for ethnic minority groups and ensure:
- the right of equity and access to health care services for non-English speaking patients and clients regardless of cultural origin.
- that adequate mechanisms are in place for appropriate use of HCIS
- the education of staff on the needs of patients from CALD backgrounds
- the provision of translated information for patients who have difficulty with English
- that equal employment opportunities exist for people from CALD backgrounds
- the modification of hospital services to meet the needs of patients from CALD backgrounds.
Area Ethnic Consumer Council
SWAHS has established an Area-wide Ethnic Consumer Council (AECC), which represents a diverse range of ethnic groups and issues aiming to:
- develop effective two way communication, community consultation and participation between CALD communities and SWAHS, to ensure that the direction of the Area Health Advisory Council and decision-making in SWAHS reflect community needs
- enhance the mechanisms of information exchange between SWAHS and ethnic communities with particular focus on raising the level of awareness of the role and function of the AECC.
