Metro South Health has strengthened access to its Independent Patient Rights Adviser (IPRA) service, with key information now translated into multiple languages and formats to better support patients and support persons accessing mental health care.
The resources provide information about mental health rights and the role of the IPRA service, and have been translated into 12 languages, an Auslan video, and Easy Read format.
The IPRA service offers independent advice to patients and their nominated support persons, who are receiving care through Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Services – both in hospital and in the community.
Metro South Health IPRA Manager, Hamza Vayani, said everyone has the right to understand their care, their choices and their rights when accessing Addiction and Mental Health Services.
“This important initiative is about improving accessibility in supporting equitable, person-centred care and is especially important for Metro South Health given the patients and communities we serve are the most diverse in Queensland,” he said.
“By providing these resources in multiple formats, we’re helping remove barriers and making sure more people can access clear, independent information when they need it.”
The new resources were developed as part of a collaboration between the IPRA team, Deafness and Mental Health Statewide Consultation and Liaison Service and MSH Consumer Partnering, with input from consumer partners including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who are Deaf, people who are hard of hearing, and people with disabilities.
“We know that when people understand their rights, they feel more confident, more supported and more able to participate in decisions about their care,” Hamza said.
The multilingual resources are available in:
- Arabic
- Burmese
- Chinese (simplified)
- Dari
- Bahasa (Indonesia)
- Korean
- Persian
- Somali
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Vietnamese.
The IPRA service operates independently from the treating team and can be contacted Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm via 1800 MS IPRA (1800 67 4772) or msh_ipra@health.qld.gov.au.
Metro South Health staff are being encouraged to share the updated resources with patients and their nominated support persons.