What are Regional Health Forums (RHFs)?
The Agreement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in Queensland (2002) (PDF 268 KB) aims to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and requires the establishment of RHFs, underpinned by Regional Agreements (Clause 3.6e).
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Partnership oversees the implementation of the agreement in Queensland and comprises the signatories - the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Queensland Health, and the Department of Health and Ageing.
Why do we need them?
Establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Regional Health Agreement provides a basis for ongoing cooperation and collaboration to realise the statewide goals of the Queensland Partnership at the regional level. The Queensland Partnership oversees and monitors the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Regional Health Agreement.
Regional Health Forums bring together community-controlled health services, Divisions of General Practice, the Chairs of each Local Health Forum and State and Commonwealth health representatives. RHFs provide an opportunity to identify regional health priorities and to undertake planning to ensure regional health services are structured in the most effective way to service the needs of the region. Improved health outcomes are realised when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have full and formal engagement and participation in the delivery, planning, design and management of health services within their community and where health outcomes and health services are recorded and monitored.
For more information refer to the Terms of Reference (PDF 31 KB).
There are nine RHFs throughout the state. To view a map outlining the boundaries of the RHFs refer to Queensland Regional Health Forum Boundaries (PDF 418 KB)
Other languages