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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1150 ..

This program supports workers in health and community care services to develop their skills and understanding of primary health care and health promotion through training, resourcing and practical application in their workplaces.

Through this program, Health Advancement Services have assisted workers to develop health promotion projects with diverse themes which have included: nutrition, oral health care for Aboriginal people and for children with disabilities, diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, healthy ageing, falls in the elderly, cross-cultural communication, migrant access to services, development of multi-disciplinary teams, community needs assessment, and quality improvement in community health services.

Another major program has been the Workplace Health Promotion Program which specifically targets 'at-risk' blue collar workers in both the public and private sectors. It aims to improve the health status of workers through a program developed in partnership with employers, unions, Occupational Health and Safety representatives and interested employees. The program has provided specific programs of information and advice on areas such as men's health, skin cancer and foot care.

In addition it needs to be recognised that health promotion is a vital component of the day to day work of clinical primary health care staff and the Health Advancement Services staff have supported and assisted the clinical staff in that component of their activity.

(2) Due to the partnership role played by Health Advancement Services with other services in these health promotion efforts it is not possible to provide an itemised budget for each of these efforts.

Health Advancement Services had a total budget in

(a) 1994-95 of $640,700 in Salaries and $71,600 in Operating costs and in

(b) 1995-96 of $499,900 in Salaries and $57,600 in Operating costs.

The differences in these figures reflect the relocation of the Migrant Health Unit (formerly part of Health Advancement Services) late in the 1994 calendar year to sit within the Primary Health Care Teams area.

(3) Due to the partnership role played by Health Advancement Services with other services in these health promotion efforts it is not possible to provide an itemised staff allocation for each of these particular themes or campaigns.

Health Advancement Services employed

(a) in 1994-95 - 17.88 full-time equivalent staff and

(b) in 1995-96 - 13.48 full-time equivalent staff.

The change in these figures represents the relocation of 4.4 full-time equivalent staff with the Migrant Health Unit late in the 1994 calendar year to the Primary Care Program.

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