Metro North Health Literacy Approach

For feedback on the consultation draft for Metro North Health Literacy Approach.

The aim of Metro North Health Literacy Approach is to create a platform for a shared understanding of health literacy that will support proactive and coordinated actions for improvement across Metro North.

The Health Literacy Steering Committee which includes consumers, staff and community partners has overseen the development of this approach. 

Two consumer workshops were held earlier in the year to inform the foundations for Metro North's approach to health literacy. A working group of consumers and staff developed Metro North Health Literacy Approach as a consultation draft.

50 people provided feedback on the consultation draft (7 consumers and 43 staff). RBWH clinical council was consulted and another workshop was held with consumers and staff to consider all of the feedback and finalise the approach. In summary you told us:

• to focus on health and wellness and not just managing illness
• health literacy is a shared responsibility requiring collaboration amongst staff, consumers, carers and community partners
• we needed to clarify what we are aim to improve by tackling health literacy
• to ensure our entire healthcare workforce is supported to contribute to health literacy
• commit to continuous improvement, evaluation and research.

We revised the Metro North Health Literacy Approach.

It was approved by Metro North Operational Leadership Team in December. A health literacy webpage will be launched in the new year and we will take action to address the priorities in the approach.