#1829_WSLHD_Multicultural Health Plan_2B_WEB

Executive Summary

The Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Multicultural Health Plan (the Plan) identifies systemic changes and actions required to improve District’s capacity to recognise and address the health needs, language and culture of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers and communities. The Plan was developed to ensure WSLHD can provide exceptional care and services with no barriers, where CALD patients, carers, families and communities are well informed and supported to achieve best possible experiences pertaining to their healthcare. The Plan lists local-level strategies and actions to implement the NSW Health Plan for Healthy Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities 2019-2023 and NSW Refugee Health Plan 2020-25 (draft). Strategies, actions and improvements are the result of feedback and ideas shared by health professionals from different clinical and non-clinical networks. They were then developed into the Plan by members of the WSLHD Multicultural Health Committee.

The main recommendations required to ensure WSLHD is well placed to support and meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse patients and populations focus on: Improved safety and cultural responsiveness of care and services • Introducing mandatory cultural responsiveness and working with health care interpreter trainings for all WSLHD staff, so they can appropriately recognise and address needs of CALD patients, carers and consumers • Having mechanisms, skills and commitment to engage and support participation of all CALD patients and consumers in providing feedback on and evaluate services and care they need and receive • Having mechanisms imbedded within our system to measure provision of health care interpreter service at the key clinical points of interactions • Having capacity of the system to provide health care interpreters to all patients when and where required by staff and consumers to ensure equity and clinical safety standards.

4

WSLHD Multicultural Health Plan 2022-2025