Primary Health Care for NACCHO

"Primary Health Care" has always been a continuing integral aspect of our Aboriginal life, and is the collective effort of the local Aboriginal community to achieve and maintain its cultural well being. Primary health care is a holistic approach which incorporates body, mind, spirit, land, environment, custom and socio-economic status. Primary health care is an Aboriginal cultural construct that includes essential, integrated care based upon practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable procedures and technology made accessible to Communities as close as possible to where they live through their full participation in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. The provision of this calibre of health care requires an intimate knowledge of the community and its health problems, with the community itself providing the most effective and appropriate way to address its main health problems, including promotive, preventative, curative and rehabilitative services. (Adapted from the W.H.O. Alma-Ata Declaration 1978)

Primary health care is the first level of contact of individuals, families and the community with the health care system and in Aboriginal communities this is usually through an ACCHS or satellite Aboriginal community health clinic that it services.

Primary health care, within the holistic health provision of an ACCHS, provides the sound structure to address all aspects of health care arising from social, emotional and physical factors. It incorporates numerous health related disciplines and services, subject to its level of operation, available resources and funding. In addition to the provision of medical care, with its clinical services treating diseases and its management of chronic illness, it includes such services as environmental health, pharmaceuticals, counselling, preventive medicine, health education and promotion, rehabilitative services, antenatal and postnatal care, maternal and child care, programs and necessary support services to address the effects of socio-somatic illness and other services provided in a holistic context mentioned in Schedule 5 of these Articles and included in the NACCHO definition for "Aboriginal Health Related Services".

Primary Health Care is all inclusive, integrated health care and refers to the quality of health services. It is a comprehensive approach to health in accordance with the Aboriginal holistic definition of health and arises out of the practical experience within the Aboriginal community itself having to provide effective and culturally appropriate health services to its communities.

As defined in its Memorandum Memorandum and Articles of Association as amended 9March 2006.

Primary Health Care within the Australian health care system

Within the Australian context there are a variety of types of services that are called primary (health) care services. The principle providers of such services are:

• General Practices where the General Practitioner is the principle service provider with a varying number of other services provided through the practice;
• Community health services; and
• Aboriginal Medical Services including Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Services.