Occasions of eye health services – Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF)

Measure 4.4.2: The number of occasions of service for Indigenous Australians with eye health professionals, per 1,000 population, under the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF).

Outreach programs are designed to address the uneven distribution of the health workforce and to improve access to eye health services across Australia. RHOF services are provided in Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and Very remote areas only.

Figure 4.4.2: Occasions of eye health services – Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF)

There are 5 separate charts for this measure including one map showing the number and rate per 1,000 population for RHOF occasions of service, by various characteristics.

RHOF occasions of service, Indigenous Australians by PHN, 2020–21 (bar chart)

This dual access horizontal bar and scatter plot presents the number and rate of RHOF occasions of service per 1,000 population, by PHN. PHNs are ordered from highest to lowest number of occasions of service. The PHN with the highest number of occasions of service was Country WA (1,214) and lowest was Gippsland (Victoria) with 5.

RHOF occasions of eye health services for Indigenous patients, by region, 2020–21

This vertical bar chart presents the number of RHOF occasions of service in 2020–21, by remoteness. The chart shows that the number of Indigenous occasions of service under the RHOF was highest in Remote areas (828) and lowest in Very remote areas (656). The rate of occasions of service per 1,000 Indigenous Australians was highest in Remote areas (15 per 1,000) followed by Very remote areas ( 7 per 1,000), and was lowest in Inner regional areas (3.5 per 1,000).

RHOF occasions of eye health services for Indigenous patients, by jurisdiction, 2020–21

This vertical bar chart presents the number and rate of RHOF occasions of service in 2020–21, by jurisdiction. The chart shows that the number of Indigenous eye health occasions of service under the RHOF was highest in the Western Australia (1,214, or 19 per 1,000) followed by NSW (785, or 5 per 1,000).

RHOF occasions of eye health services for Indigenous patients, time trend, 2011–12 to 2020–21

This line graph shows trends in the number of occasions of service for Indigenous Australians under the RHOF from 2011–12 to 2020–21. The chart shows that, in 2011–12, there were 4,977 Indigenous occasions of service under the RHOF. This number increased to reach 8,652 in 2015–16, and then decreased to 5,870 in 2018–19. In 2020–21 there were 2,996 occasions of service.

  • In 2020-21, a total of 2,996 occasions of eye health services for Indigenous patients were provided under the RHOF.
  • In 2020-21, the rate of Indigenous eye health occasions of service under the RHOF was highest in Western Australia (19 per 1,000), followed by the Northern Territory (9 per 1,000).