1996-1997
Programme 3: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
The 1996-97 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.
Objective
To improve health outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by improving access to culturally appropriate high quality health care.
The Resource Summary Table for Programme 3 (Excel 14Kb)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
| Programme | Sub-Programme | Division | Branch |
| 3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health |  | Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services | Programme Development and Management |
| Planning and Evaluation |
3: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Objective
- To raise the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by improving access to culturally appropriate high quality health care.
Goals
- Partnership with States and Territories, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), community-controlled health organisations and health professionals to plan on the basis of need, and to develop, implement, and monitor access to, high quality health services and public health measures.
- Strategies to reduce the incidence and consequences of specific health problems being encountered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- A strong framework of community-based primary care providers with the capacity and funding to deliver improved health outcomes.
- Providers of health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being accountable to the Government and the community for service outcomes.
- A skilled health workforce (including doctors, nurses and Aboriginal health workers) available to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
- Effective participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in all aspects of health care and its service delivery.
Strategies
- Establish a joint health planning framework with States, ATSIC and community stakeholders, embracing Aboriginal-specific and mainstream health care provision, and including linkages between health service planning and planning for environmental health and infrastructure initiatives.
- In the context of the joint planning framework, identify, plan and prepare for implementation of additional health services in isolated communities which currently do not have appropriate access to primary health care.
- Develop, implement and monitor innovative approaches to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and develop and implement coordinated care trials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Develop and monitor performance indicators and a data management system to support planning, accountability and evaluation of health service delivery by all sectors to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Develop funding agreements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and substance abuse services which focus on the achievement of specific outcomes for service delivery; funding models which relate service activities to community needs; and service standards which focus on continuous improvement.
- Support the development of a workforce trained and available for health service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, especially to those in rural and remote areas, working in co-operation with health services, States, Territories, professional bodies and training authorities and their funders.
- Develop effective responses to specific health challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, strengthening the capacity of service providers in population health strategies.
- Improve consultation and information exchange between Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, especially through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council.
Performance Indicators and Targets
Effectiveness
- Agreements in place involving as appropriate State and Territory Governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, Commonwealth funded health and substance abuse services, and other stakeholders.
Targets:- Signed Framework Agreements with all States, Territories and ATSIC; regional planning structures established; new services planned in 20 communities; innovative funding/service delivery models implemented in ten communities.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access and outcomes of other health and family service programmes reviewed.
- Effective, efficient and timely advisory, consultation and communication processes on issues related to the health status of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Target: Minister receives expert advice from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council; reports and recommendations from specialist sub-committees on remote areas, workforce and substance misuse issues. - Care and treatment models developed to address specific health problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their impact assessed.
Targets:- Strategies developed and implemented in relation to key health problems, including diabetes, ear disease and hearing loss, and sexual health (including HIV/AIDS); and
- Protocols for the treatment and management of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, STDs, Otitis Media and general immunisation developed and disseminated.
Efficiency
- Timely development of evaluation framework (including baseline data requirements), health data protocols and minimum data and reporting requirements to assess access to, and delivery of, health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Target: Agreement reached on framework and data specifications with national bodies and other key organisations by June 1997.
Quality
- Availability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of an effective and committed health workforce, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers (AHWs), and medical, nursing and specialist services, with access to appropriate training, funding, conditions of employment and career structures.
Targets:- Provision and funding of 300 additional accredited training places for AHWs negotiated with relevant bodies.
- Three demonstration projects to improve communities' access to specialist medical service identified and planned.
- Recruitment services in all States and the Northern Territory.
- Funding agreements and mechanisms, quality assurance and risk management strategies for Commonwealth-funded health and substance abuse services introduced.
Target: National agreement reached on a standard funding agreement, quality assurance and risk management strategies, and needs based funding arrangements by July 1997. - Responsiveness to service needs of Commonwealth funded health and substance abuse services.
Target: 80 per cent of services rating overall programme responsiveness to their needs as satisfactory or better.
Equity
- Progress towards an equitable distribution of funding across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on the basis of need and service delivery.
Target: Development of a formula to provide for a more equitable distribution of this program's funding. - Progress towards ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, especially in remote communities, have generally comparable access to fundamental health services to the wider Australian community.
Budget Measures
Spending
Improving Access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Primary Health Care
Financial Implications
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
0.8 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 8.5 |
Expenditure in 1997-98 will encompass those new services identified from the proposed joint planning arrangements with States and Territories during 1996-97. Planning will continue during 1997-98 for new services to be introduced in 1998-99.
Purpose of Measure
The purpose of the measure is to improve access to primary health care for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities which currently have no health care services and are experiencing poor health status.Expected Implementation Strategies for Measure
It is timely to make a forward commitment at this stage to enable a smooth implementation of the measure. There is an unavoidable lead time in planning required to support service development. The process involves identifying the communities, engaging them in dialogue about the nature of the service, and consulting with other key stakeholders and health care professionals about how best to recruit staff and implement the service.While this planning for new services is taking place, it is important that States, Territories and existing service providers are engaged in joint planning processes to ensure services have broad based support, are culturally appropriate and are delivered in a coordinated and effective manner.
Planning will occur for an expansion of primary care services in thirty-five remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in 1996-97, and the services will commence in early 1997-98. Planning for primary care services in other communities will occur in 1997-98 for implementation in 1998-99.
Intended Impact of Measures
It is anticipated that the provision of primary care services to those remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities which are currently unserviced or have inadequate access to existing health services will improve the health status of the residents and therefore reduce the incidence of ill health and premature death, and minimise the use of expensive evacuation and secondary and tertiary health services.Savings
Application of Efficiency Dividend to Commonwealth Own Purpose Outlays and Specific Purpose Payments of a Running Costs Nature
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-3.4 | -4.8 | -6.1 | -7.5 |
Across-the-Board Reduction of 2% in Running Costs
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
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