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.

Since July 2007, the health components of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) have evolved from their initial focus on the roll-out of child health checks into a program of follow-up service delivery which will continue through until 30 June 2009. From 1 July 2008, implementation of the longer term responses to Indigenous health needs in the Northern Territory began with the Expanding Health Service Delivery Initiative as well as continuing commitments in Child Special Services and Alcohol and Other Drug services.

In 2007-08, $53.4 million was expended on NTER related health measures including:

• Child health checks
• Follow-up primary health care services
• Follow-up specialist services in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), hearing and dental health
• Alcohol and other drug treatment, rehabilitation and outreach services
• Child special services including the commencement of a Mobile Outreach Service for children affected by the trauma of sexual abuse, and their families.

Progress Reports of the Child Health Check Initiative and Follow-up data collections

The Progress of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative: Preliminary Results from the Child Health Check and Follow-up data collections 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. It also includes results from the follow-up Child Health Check Initiative data collections, the purpose of which is to measure the extent to which children who had a child health check have received the follow-up care that they need.

The checks analysed for this report were undertaken from July 2007 to October 2008.

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.

An independent evaluation of the Child Health Check Initiative and the Expanded Health Services Delivery Initiative is being conducted during 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce – Report to Government

In October 2008, the NTER Review Board presented its report to Government of the first 12 months of the emergency response. This report as well as the Government’s initial response to its recommendations can be found at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website at http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/nter/reports.htm.

Expanded Health Services Delivery Initiative (EHSDI) and Other Measures

The Australian Government has committed to providing $99.7 million to expand health service delivery in remote NT Indigenous communities over two years from July 2008. The Expanding Health Service Delivery Initiative (EHSDI) aims to deliver long term, sustainable improvements in the NT primary health care system and provides for:

• Increased primary health care service delivery in remote locations;
• Delivery of more regionally-based primary health care services in remote NT communities; and
• Recruitment of health professionals with a Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) being established for this purpose.

In 2008-09, EHSDI will provide the necessary resources to enable a sustained focus on the delivery of child health checks and primary health care follow-up services, providing significant additional capacity for the expansion of health services across the NT.

Regionalisation of increased primary health care service delivery in each of the 14 new Health Service Delivery Areas is designed to ensure efficient and sustainable core service delivery, based on economies of scale and sustainable service populations.

Child health check feedback sessions have been conducted in 18 communities to date.

Along with workforce issues, infrastructure limitations within the NT Aboriginal primary health care sector remain among the most significant constraints to improving health services within the NT. The EHSDI Investment Plan for 2008-09 includes up to $6 million for infrastructure support, which will be allocated along with funding to support increased primary health care services. The Department has also allocated funds during 2008-09 specifically for refurbishment of NT Primary Health Care Health Centres.

On 10 May 2008 an advertisement was placed in the national media for existing organisations or consortia to establish and operate the RAHC. As a result of the assessment of the applications received, a funding agreement for this purpose was executed with Aspen Medical in October 2008 and the RAHC commenced operations. The first deployment of health professionals occurred in December 2008.

Also from July 2008, an additional $13.6 million has been provided for the delivery of follow-up dental, hearing and ENT services for Aboriginal children in remote communities and town camps in the Northern Territory. This funding will also enable the continuation of drug and alcohol treatment, rehabilitation and outreach services and child special services.

In addition the Australian Government is funding a Mobile Outreach Service connected to the existing regional NT Sexual Assault Referral Centres to deliver counselling, support and education services to children and families in remote communities who have suffered child abuse-related trauma. These services commenced in 2007-08 and will continue for a further four years from 2008-09 to 2011-12 with a budget of $6.2 million. Top of page