Author: Pawas Gupta

The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW Human Research Ethics Committee (AH&MRC HREC) is marking its 26th year by organising its inaugural forum, scheduled for June 27th, 2023. This forum aims to cater to academics, affiliated health professionals, and groups, providing them with educational opportunities regarding the significance of Aboriginal ethics, requirements for approvals and processes and the governance structures. It represents the beginning of AH&MRC HREC’s expansion and growth plans for the coming years.

Kelly Jones, the AH&MRC Research Ethics Coordinator, emphasises “This forum is to educate all attendees on the HREC’s processes and governance structures when submitting an ethics application. The committee reviews over 100 applications annually in which they need to ensure that all submissions are culturally and ethically appropriate.”

In 2022, AH&MRC HREC was honoured with the Indigenous Governance Award by Reconciliation Australia. This accolade recognises and celebrates exceptional examples of governance in Indigenous-led non-incorporated initiatives, projects, or businesses. AH&MRC HREC aims to rectify the historical devastation caused by this industry. Reconciliation Australia commended the committee for its commendable efforts in engaging others and promoting positive change.

Acting CEO Joanne Grant highlights the integral role played by the Human Research Ethics Committee in the organisation. She emphasizes the importance of respectfully appreciating the diverse Cultural Protocols while engaging distinct Aboriginal communities across Australia. Grant believes that such engagement can contribute to strengthening our national identity and character as a nation.

If you would like to attend the forum, please purchase the tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ahmrc-ethics-forum-tickets-617455133927

Official Media Release

The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC) would like to congratulate the Minns Government on the recent state election. We look forward to working with the NSW premier who has shown an interest in Aboriginal Affairs, specifically health.

‘’The AH&MRC have worked extensively to ensure that our relationships with elected parties does not compromise the work that already exists and that is coming to fruition. We look forward to continuing to maintain this relationship and working alongside the Minns government in ensuring health equity outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remains a priority’’ – Robert Skeen, AH&MRC CEO

AH&MRC Priorities

The AH&MRC would like to put forth the following priorities to be considered for the incoming government:

 Priority: Workforce Shortages in the ACCHO Sector

The Aboriginal Community Controlled Healthcare sector is facing significant workforce shortages, particularly with GPs. The ACCHO sector needs a sustainable workforce to not only meet routine clinical needs for clients but needs to have the capacity to surge as required.

We would like to see commitments to:

• Increased support for training and upskilling initiatives for the Aboriginal health workforce with a focus on expanding pathways not only to nursing, but also specialist and allied health professions.
• Supporting shared workforce models between NSW Health and the ACCHO sector, particularly GPs and other specialists.
• Increased investment into Aboriginal health, with the community-controlled sector at the centre of service delivery as committed to under the NSW Partnership on Closing the Gap.
• Commitment to support ACCHSs with competitive salaries of key workforce, such as GPs and dentists etc.
• Acknowledgement of the scope of practice that Aboriginal Health Practitioners have within the health sectored
• Review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker and practitioner award2020

 Priority: Equitable funding for community-controlled health services

Funding for the ACCHO sector comes from a combination of sources. At present, funding for ACCHOs is fragmented, unstable and inadequate. ACCHOs are the preferred primary care provider for Aboriginal people and while the demand for their services continues to grow, funding has not kept up.

We would like to see commitments to: 

• Flexible, needs-based, and long-term funding models, based on the principles of self-determination.
• Greater efforts towards co-design processes that allow communities to determine their priorities and what success looks like.
• Further commitment into Medicare reform in collaboration with services that it ultimately benefits and impacts.

Priority: Investing in Aboriginal Health, Infrastructure

Aboriginal people do not have adequate access to culturally safe health services, particularly in rural and remote areas. ACCHOS are therefore limited in the services that they can provide due to lack of resourcing and infrastructure.

We would like to see commitments to: 

• Increased investment into Aboriginal health infrastructure, with a focus on supporting ACCHOs to enhance and expand their services.
• Additional support for Aboriginal health services still working to rebuild from recent natural disasters, particularly in Northern NSW.

Priority: Supporting Aboriginal governance across the health system. 

There is significant under-representation of Aboriginal people in decision-making roles across the health system and government more broadly.

We would like to see commitments to: 

• Support for Aboriginal people to participate in governance structures across the health system.
• Where there are Aboriginal funds directed into services, ensure governance structures are represented with Aboriginal people.
• Greater representation of Aboriginal people in senior decision-making roles across the system.

Priority: Investing in holistic, multi-disciplinary models of care

We know that many Aboriginal people are not receiving care until it’s too late. This is primarily due to the barriers that prevent access to timely, community-based, holistic, and culturally safe health services. We also know that Aboriginal people are best placed to provide care, with models of care that focus on multi-disciplinary, culturally informed interventions.

We would like to see commitments to:

• Greater investment into community-based, early intervention and prevention services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This should include investment in community-controlled models of care.

Priority: A strengthened commitment to Closing the Gap. 

The New South Wales government has made a commitment to support the implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, working in partnership with the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organizations (NSW CAPO) and other Aboriginal stakeholders. As a member of this,

We would like to see commitment to: 

• A renewed commitment to the NSW Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap.
• Continued investment for Closing the Gap, with a focus on sustained, direct investment into the community-controlled sector and ongoing funding for initiatives developed under the 2022-23 Budget.

Contact

• policy@ahmrc.org.au

MEDIA RELEASE AHMRC Priorities_ 13042023

The AH&MRC congratulates the Premier and Labor government on their election victory.

During its campaign, the ALP made several commitments to a fresh plan for healthcare, including:

• Labor’s Fresh Start Plan will boost access for mental health services for young people by investing $17 million to the Kids Helpline over four years to increase their capacity to respond to a rising number of calls.
• Labor will deliver long-term structural reform to the healthcare system by introducing minimum and enforceable Safe Staffing Levels to public hospitals, starting with emergency departments and then progressing out into other areas.
• Labor will hire an additional 1,200 nurses.
• Labor will hire 500 new paramedics in rural and regional areas. The new paramedics will be spread across areas in the State with the most need which will be determined following consultations with healthcare professionals.
• Labor will boost workforce incentives for rural and regional GPs to support the engagement of nurses, allied health and other health professionals and provide multi-disciplinary team-based care.

The ALP also committed to pursuing a formal treaty process with First Nations People, including:

• Committing $5 million to a 12-month consultation process with First Nations communities on a treaty process for New South Wales, ensuring a commitment to the principle of Treaty.
• Labor announced that this process will begin after the referendum on The Voice in the second half of 2023.

The AH&MRC welcomes these commitments and the many others made by the ALP which will be critical in closing the gap in Aboriginal health outcomes.

ACCHOs across the country have continued to deliver high-quality integrated primary health care to Aboriginal communities, despite the ongoing challenges they are facing. It will therefore be crucial that the incoming government account for the Aboriginal Health workforce, Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health services and communities in their rollout.

The AH&MRC is committed to working with the new government to develop and deliver policies and programs for our people and we look forward to working in genuine partnership to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal communities.

MEDIA RELEASE_AH&MRC Congratulates the Incoming Labor Government