Health Equity Impact Statement and Declaration Policy
MP 0185/24 - Health Equity Impact Statement and Declaration Policy (pdf 201KB)
Applicable to: This policy is applicable to WA health entities.
Description: The WA health system is committed to achieving equity in health outcomes and access to care with a focus on Aboriginal people, consumers and carers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds and/or living in lower socioeconomic (SE) conditions. In this document, these population groups are individually and collectively termed ‘priority group/s’.
The Health Equity Impact Statement and Declaration Policy (the policy) mandates the requirement to report on how the needs of consumers and carers in priority group/s have been considered and incorporated during the development, implementation, review and changes made to significant WA health system initiatives.
The policy aligns with recommendations 3b and 3c of the Sustainable Health Review (SHR), which prioritises the requirement for the WA health system to reduce inequity in health outcomes and access to care for people of CaLD backgrounds, and people living in lower SE conditions. The SHR notes that these priority groups are more likely to face barriers in accessing services.
It is acknowledged that both of these population groups are complex and varied. Not all people who identify as being of CaLD background, and not all people living in lower SE conditions, experience inequity in health outcomes or barriers to accessing care. Further, it is acknowledged that these priority groups can be interconnected, and people may identify in one or more priority groups which can increase their experience of inequity.
Consideration of equitable health outcomes and access to care for Aboriginal people is covered under MP 0160/21 Aboriginal Health Impact Statement and Declaration Policy and is not within the scope of this policy.
This policy is intended to support equity in health outcomes and access to care by:
- ensuring considerations for equitable health outcomes and access to care are embedded in the development, implementation, review and changes to significant initiatives
- ensuring that consumers and carers of priority group/s are consulted in the development, implementation, review and changes to these initiatives
- providing a central mechanism for collecting, sharing and promoting information about current or planned significant WA health system initiatives, through completion and submission of a Health Equity Impact Statement and Declaration (ISD) electronic form (eForm) by WA health entities.
Information gathered through this process will give the System Manager a line of sight over initiatives intended to support the needs of priority groups, and help to inform health system policy and planning.
The Health Equity ISD eForm collects information about:
- which priority group/s the initiative is expected to support
- how the initiative will contribute to equitable health outcomes and/or access to care
- information about the consultation process undertaken, including the priority group/s consulted
- a summary of the consultation findings, including issues and/or needs identified, and actions taken to address these
- how the initiative will contribute to supporting equity in health outcomes and access to care for priority group/s.
The policy is a mandatory requirement for Health Service Providers under the Clinical Services Planning and Programs Policy Framework pursuant to section 26(2)(c)(d) of the Health Services Act 2016.
The policy is also a mandatory requirement for the Department of Health pursuant to section 29 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994.
Date of effect: 01 July 2024
Policy Framework
Clinical Services Planning and Programs
Health Equity ISD eForm
Health-Equity-Impact-Statement-and-Declaration-Guideline (pdf 220KB)