First Nations health

About us

At the RMH, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to deliver health equity to First Nations people and understand that delivering high quality care is intrinsically linked to providing culturally safe and responsive services. Together with our commitment to provide great care is our aspiration for the Royal Melbourne Hospital to be a great place to work for First Nations people. As we continue on our journey toward reconciliation, we aim to build a better understanding of our current workforce, and the barriers and opportunities in place; with the vision of becoming and employer of choice for First Nations people.
 
The First Nations Health Unit is a dedicated resource to providing holistic and culturally safe care to Victoria’s First Nations patients and consumers. As a team we focus on breaking down barriers and providing secondary education support to treating teams that allow for a positive experience for our First Nations patients, families and communities. Our aspirations as a team align with Royal Melbourne Hospitals strategic goal to be a great place to receive care.

Our services

Our team can assist with: 

• Ensuring hospital services are culturally appropriate, safe, welcoming and meet the needs of First Nations patients, consumers and wider community
• Bedside visits to explain the hospital system and act as a liaison between patients, their families and our multidisciplinary team of staff
• Helping patients and their families to access hospital and community support services in the wider community
• Helping with discharge planning and accessing community resources to ensure continuity of care

First Nations Hospital Liaison Officers (FNHLOs) also have the ability to link into relevant external services on discharge to provide ongoing outreach support.