Refugee Week June 2022

20 June 2022
News Updates
Refugee Week

20 June 2022

Refugee Week – Are we providing the best care we can?

Refugee Week is a national event from 19th June to 25th June. Refugees provide a rich diversity to Australian culture, and with this diversity comes diverse healthcare needs, which we can all consider to improve our practice for refugee communities.

Refugee Week also gives us a chance to reflect on how we can provide the best possible healthcare to refugees, including the use of Refugee Health Assessments and interpreters.

General practitioners can access Refugee Health Assessments to conduct post-arrival health assessment of people from a refugee background which can be covered under Medicare.

General practitioners can use interpreters to communicate with patients who are not fluent in English. To gain priority access to the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS), medical practitioners and allied health professionals can register for the Doctors Priority Line here.

For more information on primary care for people with a refugee background, visit the NSW Refugee Health Service website

Quick Stats: Refugees in NSW 2015–to2020

30,000 humanitarian visas
Most common countries: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar
92% had poor or no English proficiency
¼ were children under 11 years