On 7 November, Mary Anne Thomas MP, the then Parliamentary Secretary for Health, hosted the first annual Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Forum. In welcoming the participants to the Forum, Ms Thomas urged the sector to focus on achieving outcomes - delivering real improvements in the health and wellbeing for communities, and for all Victorians.
Nearly 200 people from across the health and wellbeing sectors participated in the Forum, including from local government, health services, a broad range of peak bodies, Primary Care Partnerships, women’s health services, social services and researchers.
Participants were invited to share their thoughts on how prevention can best be delivered. Many highlighted the need for collective, collaborative approaches across the sector.
One council representative emphasised the importance of investing time for “getting the right people around the table” both within their council and across their area, in order to generate a collective impact.
Another participant suggested that to make a difference we need to focus on "reducing the siloed approach across the sector and within organisations …. and focus on a partnership approach."
The Victorian public health and wellbeing outcomes framework and Implementing the Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2015–2019 Taking action- the first two years are now available online.
A data dictionary is also being finalised and will be available in the near future.
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