National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission Fact Sheet

A New National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Authority
Investing more than we do now
Improved nutrition, with improved access to affordable healthy foods is a key element of a healthy start to life
Train and recognise an Indigenous health workforce and a workforce for indigenous health
What do you think?
More information

Improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be our first priority in tackling access and equity issues.

A New National Aboriginal Health and Torres Strait Islander Health Authority

A National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Authority should be established within the Health portfolio to commission and broker services specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, as a mechanism to focus on health outcomes and ensure high quality and timely access to culturally appropriate care. The Authority should hold all health services to account for providing the right services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Important reforms at the service delivery level are required to complement the Authority’s role, including strengthening primary health care services and universal access to basic dental care.

Investing more than we do now

There should be an investment strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health that is proportionate to health need, the cost of service delivery, and the achievement of the desired outcomes. This requires a substantial increase on recurrent expenditure.

The additional investment to close the gap in health outcomes should include funding of strategies to build an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce across all disciplines, and the development of a workforce for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Improved nutrition, with improved access to affordable healthy foods is a key element of a healthy start to life

Good nutrition and a healthy diet are key elements to a healthy start in life. An integrated package should be implemented to improve the affordability of fresh food, especially fruit and vegetables, in targeted remote communities.

Train and recognise an Indigenous health workforce and a workforce for indigenous health

There should be a strengthening and expanding of organisational capacity and sustainability of Community Controlled Health Services to provide and broker comprehensive primary health care services.

Accreditation for health services and education providers should incorporate Indigenous modules to ensure quality clinical and culturally appropriate services.

Tackling health service gaps and inequities has to be across metropolitan and rural communities and involve both Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and mainstream health services.

What do you think?

The Government is undertaking a series of face-to-face consultations and is using this website to seek the views of Australians on these and other options.

What do you think? Tell us at a consultation visit or complete the Tell us what you think form to provide your views.

These views will be compiled and reported to Government prior to deciding what health reform should be undertaken.

Individual responses will not be posted to the views provided on this site.

More information

This is a summary of some of the major recommendations of theNational Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. Full recommendations can be found in A Healthier Future For All Australians – Final Report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission – June 2009