Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Emergency Response to protect Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory

A range of measures have been implemented following the release of the Little Children are Sacred report from the NT Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse.

Department of Health and Ageing - Northern Territory Emergency Coordination Centre

The Northern Territory Emergency Coordination Centre (NTECC) was formed to manage the conduct of health checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, aged under 16 years, in Aboriginal communities in the NT in order to identify significant health issues and to plan follow-up treatment. Based in Canberra, Alice Springs and Darwin, the NTECC is responsible for recruitment, assembly, training and deployment of health care teams.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Health Checks

DoHA has responsibility to conduct individual child health checks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in approximately 73 communities and a number of town camps in the NT.

The health checks, which are not compulsory, are standard child health checks consistent with the existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Health Check Medicare Item 708. This is a comprehensive check of the child’s health, wellbeing and social and environmental living conditions. The check includes organising investigations and referrals as required, providing preventive health advice and developing a plan for the good health of the child. Children who have had a child health check (Medicare Item 708) in the last nine months will not need to have another one done.

The Progress of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative: Health Conditions and Referrals is available here and provides information on the number and types of health conditions identified and the number and types of referrals made as part of the child health checks. The checks analysed for this report were undertaken from July 2007 to May 2008.

A copy of the Child Health Check form (PDF 241 KB) used by clinicians to guide the voluntary checks is available here.

Link to Child Health Q&A

Child Health Check Teams

In assessing teams, we give consideration to the health professionals’ previous experience, with experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health preferred. All participants need to be eligible for unconditional medical registration in the Northern Territory.

Child Health Check Teams include a doctor and up to three nurses and administrative support workers who work in conjunction with local health services in the field. All members of the team receive nominal remuneration.

Orientation for Child Health Check Teams

The Child Health Check teams undertake two full days of orientation when they arrive in the Northern Territory, including cultural awareness and detailed instruction on child health check performance from consent procedures to clinical and reporting requirements and team functioning. Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services provide advice on local communities.

Orientation is conducted jointly by the DoHA and the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia (CRANA) with contributions from relevant Northern Territory agencies including the Department of Health and Community Services.
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Some topics covered include:

• Cultural Awareness
• Overview of health services in Central Australia
• Screening principles
• Overview of child health in NT and common conditions
• Proposed child health check process:
  • Consent
  • Process of health check
  • Documentation/Record keeping
  • Interaction with the health service- pathology, waste disposal, access to records
  • Medication storage/security, NT Section 29 Poisons Act, Health Insurance Act Section 100.
  • Prescribing, dispensing and labelling medication
  • Evaluation and reporting
• Child Health Check skills
• Weighing and measuring
• Plotting and interpreting growth & development
• Clinical examination
• Action planning

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Department of Health and Ageing, Drug and Alcohol Initiative

Link to the Department of Health and Ageing's Drug and Alcohol Q&A

The Little Children are Sacred report identified alcohol as a key issue in situations of violence and abuse. Legislation has been put in place to restrict access to alcohol on Aboriginal land. These restrictions mean the sale, possession, transportation and consumption of alcohol are banned in prescribed areas. In addition, monitoring of take-away sales across the Northern Territory will be implemented.

The Department of Health and Ageing has implemented a package of measures to address the need to increase withdrawal and other treatment and rehabilitation services across the Northern Territory. These measures include:

• provision of hospital beds for medical detoxification;
• establishing Drug and Alcohol Response Teams;
• increasing capacity to existing drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services;
• establishing a 1800 hotline to provide immediate drug and alcohol clinical advice to health professionals; and
• distributing the Alcohol and Treatment Guidelines for Indigenous Australians to all Aboriginal primary health care services in the Northern Territory.

The role of the Australian Defence Force (ADF)

The Australian Defence Force supports the Northern Territory Emergency Response Task Force, including the DoHA Child Health Check teams.

The ADF is providing assistance to the teams including transport, communications and sustainment assistance, inter-agency liaison and assistance with the procurement and provision of medical stores and contracted trade services.

How to offer your services

Medical personnel can ring the DoHA Northern Territory Emergency Coordination Centre (NTECC) on (02) 6289 5800 to register their interest. You can also contact the Task Force Recruitment Hotline on (02) 6243 4855 (business hours only) to register your interest in this initiative. You can also register your interest online.

Media Centre and Photo Gallery

Media inquiries about the Child Health Checks should be directed to 02 6289 7400 (including after hours), or send an email to news@health.gov.au

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery
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