Occasions of eye health services – Visiting Optometrists Scheme

Measure 4.4.1
The number of occasions of service for First Nations people with eye health professionals, per 1,000 population, under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS).

Outreach programs are designed to address the uneven distribution of the health workforce and to improve access to eye health services across Australia. (Figure 58 and Figure 59)

Figure 58: Occasions of eye health services – VOS, 2009–10 to 2021–22

Measure 4.4.1 The number of occasions of service for First Nations people with eye health professionals, per 1,000 population, under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS).

Occasions of eye health services – Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS), 2009–10 to 2021–22

VOS occasions of service, time trend, 2009–10 to 2021–22

This multiple line graph shows the number of occasions of service under the VOS in 2009–10 to 2021–22, by Indigenous status. The chart shows that, in 2009–10, there were 6,975 occasions of service for First Nations patients under the VOS. This increased to 24,992 in 2021–22.

  • In 2021-22, there were 24,992 occasions of service for First Nations patients and 21,401 for other patients under the VOS.
  • In 2009–10, there were around 6,975 occasions of service for First Nations patients under the VOS. This increased to 29,161 in 2017–18 before declining to 24,992 in 2021-22. In 2021-22 First Nations people had around 3,600 more VOS occasions of service than other Australian patients.

Figure 59: Occasions of eye health services – Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS): interactive data

Occasions of eye health services – Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS): interactive data

There are 4 separate charts for this measure showing the number and rate per 1,000 population for VOS occasions of service, by various characteristics.

VOS occasions of service, First Nations people by PHN, 2021–22 (barchart)

This dual axis combined horizontal bar chart and scatter plot presents the number and rate of VOS occasions of service per 1,000 population, by PHN. PHNs have been grouped by state and are ranked from highest to lowest rate within each state grouping. In NSW the PHN with the highest rate of occasions of service per 1,000 was Western NSW (69 per 1,000). Western Sydney has the lowest rate (3.3 FTE per 1,000).

In Victoria the PHN with the highest rate of occasions of service per 1,000 was Gippsland (37.9 FTE per 1,000). South Eastern Melbourne has the lowest rate at 4.4 FTE per 1,000.

VOS occasions of service, Indigenous Australians, by region, 2021–22

This vertical bar chart shows the number of VOS occasions for First Nations people in 2021–22. Remote/Very remote regions combined have the highest number (15,839) and Major cities have the lowest (1,349).

VOS occasions of service, by Indigenous status and jurisdiction, 2021–22

This grouped vertical bar chart compares the number of VOS occasions of service in 2021–22, by Indigenous status and jurisdiction. The chart shows that the number of Indigenous occasions of service under the VOS was lowest in Tasmania (168), followed by Victoria (982), while the highest number was seen in Queensland (8,752) followed by the NSW/ACT (5,889).

VOS occasions of service per 1,000, First Nations people by jurisdiction, 2021–22

This vertical bar chart compares the rate of VOS occasions of service per 1,000 First Nations people in 2021–22, by state and territory. The chart shows that the rate of Indigenous occasions of service was highest in the Northern Territory (57.6 per 1,000) followed by South Australia (37.1 per 1,000).

In 2021-22, the rate of First Nations occasions of service was highest in the Northern Territory (58 per 1,000), followed by South Australia (37 per 1,000).

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