Over the next three years NACCHO will focus on three central areas that are consistent with our constitutional objectives.

In this section we will consider Strategic direction I

Strategic Direction 1: Shape the national reform of Aboriginal health.

Strategic Direction 2: Promote and support high performance and best practice models of culturally appropriate and comprehensive primary health care

Strategic Direction 3: Promote research that will build evidence-informed best practice in Aboriginal health policy and service delivery.

Each Strategic Direction has objectives and several key strategies that will be implemented to achieve the objectives over the next three years. The listed indicators will determine how well NACCHO is progressing under each Strategic Direction.

They are divided into ‘process’ and ‘impact’ indicators.

Process indicators will be used to judge the effectiveness and appropriateness of strategies, and focus on issues of satisfaction, quality, audience and reach.

Impact indicators will be used to judge progress toward or achievement of objectives and focus on difference or change

2.1 Shape the national reform of Aboriginal health’

The first strategy, to ‘Shape the national reform of Aboriginal health’, makes it clear that we need to embark on a new process of reform at the national level. The last major national reform was the transfer of responsibility for Aboriginal health to the Department of Health and Ageing back in 1995.

Our sector led the advocacy for this change and it was the springboard we needed to greatly increase the amount of funding now available for Aboriginal health service delivery. This included much better access to the MBS and PBS as well as grant funding.

Unfortunately, these funds have not systematically flowed into the creation of new and enhancing existing Aboriginal community controlled health services even though this is the best practice model agreed in the national strategic plan.

There are systemic barriers within government to transforming of the health system in favour of our Sector (Aboriginal community controlled comprehensive primary health care model).Once again, national reform is needed to address these barriers so that our people can access the highest quality, culturally safe community controlled health care in a way that builds our responsibility for our own health. This requires existing health funds to be better invested.

For further information:

http://www.naccho.org.au/policies/Aboriginal_Health_Authority.html