Country Health SA Reconciliation Action Plan

Country Health SA Reconciliation Action Plan 2018-2020Country Health SA launched their new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2018-2020 (PDF 821KB) during Reconciliation Week in May 2018.

Country Health SA covers 983,776 square kilometres of land and delivers health services to more than 480,000 country South Australians. This includes more than 16,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which is 48% of the state’s total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. There are approximately 36 language groups within the Country Health SA service catchment.  

As at March 2018, Country Health SA employed more than 8000 staff, almost 200 of whom are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff work across diverse roles in administration, nursing, management and ancillary positions.

In the 2016-17 financial year, there were 111,291 inpatient episodes of care across Country Health SA, and in 10.7% of these, the patient identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent (11,933).

This two-year Stretch RAP is an essential component of Country Health SA’s commitment to ensuring the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and staff are met. It also ensures the voice of Aboriginal consumers across country South Australia is heard, and that they are actively involved in service planning and delivery.

This RAP builds on Country Health SA’s first RAP 2016-2017, which is now complete. It consolidates Country Health SA’s longstanding commitment to reconciliation and guides the organisation on its journey to strengthen capacity for the provision of culturally safe and responsible services to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

The RAP was developed with the Country Health SA Reconciliation Committee, Country Health SA’s Aboriginal Expert by Experience members and staff from Country Health SA Aboriginal Health.