Eye and Ear Surgical Support

Overview

Funding for the continuation of the Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS) initiative was approved for four years from 2020-21 to 2023-24. This Grant Opportunity is seeking fund holders for the EESS initiative in the Northern Territory and Tasmania from 2021-22 to 2023-24. This Grant Opportunity aims to reduce the instances of avoidable blindness and deafness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations through expediting access to eye and/or ear surgery. The objectives of this grant opportunity are to: - facilitate timely access to culturally appropriate, affordable eye and ear clinical services in Tasmania and the Northern Territory at the nearest available location to the patient’s home; - strengthen patient pathways and support, including liaison between health clinics, specialists and hospitals; and - prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients requiring eye and/or ear surgery living in large rural towns to very remote communities in the Northern Territory and Tasmania. The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are: - reduced surgery wait times for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people needing eye surgery (largely cataract) and/or ear surgery for conditions resulting from Otitis Media; - more effective support across the surgical pathway; and - fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with untreated eye and ear disease. Select the red "GO Documents" button (on the left-hand side) to view all Grant Opportunity documentation.