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Aboriginal Health

Overview

General Practice NSW is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW through initiatives that support general practice in delivering quality and culturally appropriate services. GP NSW has a team dedicated to Aboriginal Health and in implementing the Closing the Gap measures, which aim to reduce the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The GP NSW team provides support to the NSW Divisions Network to ensure Aboriginal Health is a priority for general practice.

Objectives

The Aboriginal Health program at General Practice NSW aims to improve access to appropriate primary health care and to prevent and manage chronic disease for Aboriginal people in NSW in order to close the gap in morbidity and mortality.

GP NSW’s role in Aboriginal Health includes:

  • working with relevant State and National organisations to improve access to health care services for Aboriginal people in NSW;
  • fostering collaboration and support between the NSW Divisions Network, primary health care services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and other relevant organisations;
  • providing information, training and resources to the NSW Divisions Network to facilitate a better understanding of Aboriginal Health issues;
  • supporting and encouraging the NSW Divisions Network to work with general practices to identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients  and provide appropriate health care services;
  • increasing the awareness and understanding of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes relevant to primary care, including Health Checks , the PIP Indigenous Health Incentive , and the PBS Co-Payment Measure;
  • facilitating networking and sharing across and between Divisions.

Closing the Gap

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has pledged to develop and implement coordinated strategies to address the key causes and determinants of disadvantage among Aboriginal people.

In support of this work, COAG has agreed to the $1.6 billion National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes. The initiative aims to reduce key risk factors for chronic disease amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people such as smoking, improve chronic disease management and follow up, and increase the capacity of the primary care workforce to deliver effective care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic disease(s).

General Practice NSW and the NSW Divisions Network has funding through the COAG Closing the Gap initiative to address access to mainstream primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW.

For more information on the COAG Closing the Gap, please visit www.health.gov.au/tackling-chronic-disease.

The measures directly impacting the Divisions Network and general practice are outlined below:


Indigenous Health Project Officer Measure

As part of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, Indigenous Health Project Officers have been employed in most NSW Divisions, as well as GP NSW, to encourage greater use of mainstream primary care services by Aboriginal people and improve the capacity of mainstream primary care providers to deliver culturally sensitive services to Indigenous Australians through cultural awareness training, quality improvement, health promotion and education and Indigenous liaison. DoHA’s Program Guidelines for Indigenous Health Project Officers is located at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ctg/publishing.nsf/Content/access-to-mainstream-primary-health/$file/Improving-Access-Guidelines.pdf


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers

As part of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, most NSW Divisions have employed local Indigenous people to work as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will encourage and support Indigenous people to access primary health care services and to ensure follow-up treatment is accessed. This may include assisting people to travel to and from appointments and to access their subsidised medications through the PBS Co-payment measure. DoHA’s Program Guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers is located at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ctg/publishing.nsf/Content/access-to-mainstream-primary-health/$file/Improving-Access-Guidelines.pdf.


Health Checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

A Health Check is available for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (MBS Item 715). The Health Check aims to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive primary health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis and intervention for common and treatable conditions that cause morbidity and early mortality.

Further information on the Health Check for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can be found at www.health.gov.au/mbsprimarycareitems (general information about the Health Check items, fact sheets, templates and links to other resources) and www.health.gov.au/mbsonline (Item descriptors and explanatory notes).


PIP Indigenous Health Incentive

As part of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, a new Practice Incentive Payment is available to support eligible general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to provide better health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including best practice management of chronic disease.


PBS Co-payment Measure

As part of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, cheaper Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications are available to eligible patients receiving care at a general practice participating in the Indigenous Health Incentive PIP, as well as metropolitan and regional Aboriginal Medical Services.

Further information: 

Care Coordination and Supplementary Services Program

As part of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, GP NSW has been funded to implement the Care Coordination and Supplementary Services Program across NSW.

Frequently asked questions and answers on CCSS in NSW can be found on the GP NSW Aboriginal Health Resources page.

For more information see the Department of Health and Ageing Program Guidelines or contact the GP NSW team.

Further information

For further information on Closing the Gap and Aboriginal Health within GP NSW and the NSW Divisions Network, please contact the Aboriginal Health Team at General Practice NSW: