1999-2000
Meeting the health needs of Indigenous Australians
The Federal Government is strengthening its commitment to improving the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a focus on expanding comprehensive primary health care services.
Fact Sheet 6
Meeting the health needs of Indigenous Australians
The Federal Government is strengthening its commitment to improving the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a focus on expanding comprehensive primary health care services.
Building on initiatives announced in previous Budgets, the Government will boost funding by almost $100 million over the next four years.
Better access
Indigenous Australians use the Medicare Benefits Scheme at only one quarter of the rate of other Australians, yet their health needs are approximately three times higher. The Government plans to redress these low access rates by increasing Commonwealth per capita investment in health services for Indigenous Australians.
To help achieve this goal, $78.8 million will be spent over four years to improve access to primary health care through the Primary Health Care Access Program.
This initiative will establish a framework for the coordinated expansion of comprehensive primary health care services including clinical care, illness prevention and early intervention activities.
Identifying areas of need is an important part of fund allocation. Under this Federal Budget, funding will be provided to improve services in areas where there is both a need and a capacity to utilise funds effectively, as identified through either regional health planning or the evaluation of the Aboriginal Coordinated Care Trials.
Coordinated Care Trials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been developed with this in mind. This funding package will enable services established under the existing Coordinated Care Trials in Wilcannia, NSW; Perth and Bunbury, WA; and Katherine West and the Tiwi Islands, NT, to be continued.
Regional plans are an important way of identifying needs, gaps and priorities in health care at a regional level. The plans are developed under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Framework Agreements and ensure that funds are directed to areas of greatest need. Initially, funding will be allocated to areas that have agreed regional plans. The first two areas where plans have been completed and are ready for implementation are in South Australia and Central Australia.
Innovative service delivery models will be developed in collaboration with the Aboriginal community controlled health sector, State and Territory governments, general practice and other health professionals. These will build on current services and help integrate mainstream providers in delivering services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This will ensure that the best mix of care is available to meet the health care needs of these clearly disadvantaged groups.
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1999-2000 $m | 2000-2001 $m | 2001-2002 $m | 2002-2003 $m |
6.8 | 16.0 | 22.5 | 33.5 |
Improved living conditions in remote communities
The Army/ATSIC Community Assistance Program (AACAP) helps improve essential services for Indigenous Australians living in remote communities, such as water, sewerage, power systems, roads, airstrips and the construction and upgrade of community housing.
Funding of $20.6 million over four years will be used to extend AACAP and aims to benefit a further five remote Aboriginal communities, consistent with the Federal Government's election commitment.
This funding will be matched by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission from its National Aboriginal Health Strategy. The Army will provide personnel, equipment and its construction expertise for these projects.
1999-2000 $m | 2000-2001 $m | 2001-2002 $m | 2002-2003 $m |
5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
Support for health practitioners working in remote areas
The Government recognises the additional pressures placed on health practitioners working in remote and isolated communities and the difficulty in accessing quality counselling and crisis support services in those areas. Accordingly, approximately $559,000 will be used to upgrade and extend the Bush Crisis Line for a further three years, as covered in rural Fact Sheet 3.
The Bush Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support and counselling services for isolated rural and remote health practitioners and their families. The line will be doubled from 1.25 to 2.5 psychologist/counsellor positions, including new provisions for Indigenous co-counselling and access to locum treatment services. Since it began in 1997, the service has seen a dramatic uptake by a wide range of health practitioners.
The Bush Crisis Line addresses some of the reasons for the high turnover of health practitioners in rural and remote areas. These include professional isolation, lack of peer support, lack of appropriate housing and community facilities, and absence of social and family supports .
This initiative will be funded from existing portfolio resources and honours the Federal Government's election commitment to extend funding for the Bush Crisis line.
Contact: Helen Evans, First Assistant Secretary, Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, (02) 6289 5314
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