The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is pleased to hear of measures which should have a positive effect on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
The Chair of NACCHO, Donnella Mills, speaking in Melbourne this evening said, ‘We knew what was coming for our sector from the announcements related to the $842m package (over six years) that the Government negotiated with our colleagues at APONT in the Northern Territory. And we were also aware of some injections of funding in critical programs such as rheumatic heart disease (RHD). There is also funding for the Coalition of Peaks, which we are pleased to see. These are welcome announcements.’
In Canberra tonight, Pat Turner, the CEO of NACCHO said, ‘The big thing for our sector in this Budget is the increased access to Medicare and the PBS. The $8.5b Medicare package will not only help our ACCHOs, but the better access to bulkbilling and medicines will directly benefit the half a million or so Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who access our 550 clinics. It was also pleasing to hear that the Coalition supports this critical announcement.’
Notwithstanding the measures in tonight’s Budget, more needs to be done if we are serious about closing the health gap. NACCHO has been working with the Department of Health for over seven years on a new funding model for the ACCHO sector. Currently, most of the funding is tied to historical decisions, which can no longer be justified. So, we are on the cusp of instituting a new and fairer model which represents the best chance we have had in a generation to deliver real reform.
Donnella Mills said, ‘We just need to have it properly funded. In all other respects, it is ready to go. So, NACCHO calls upon both political parties and the crossbenchers to include this tested model as a key plank in their election platforms.’
It could also be used as a practical means of restarting reconciliation after the 2023 Referendum. In a time of economic volatility, it also offers a means of rejuvenating the 550 local economies in which our ACCHOs run clinics. Investing in ACCHOs helps creates jobs across what is the most comprehensive servicing footprint in Australia.
Pat Turner said ‘The ACCHO model is proven to be more efficient and cost-effective than mainstream health services for our people. It needs further investment if we are to ever close the health gap.’
