Working Relationships
The AH&MRC works closely with a number of other bodies including Commonwealth and State government departments and non government agencies in addition to AH&MRC member Services, to achieve the objective of improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people in NSW. In many areas, we work together under formal partnership agreements or memoranda of understanding
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
NACCHO is the peak national organisation representing Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across the country. The AH&MRC is a state affiliate of NACCHO.
Other State and Territory Affiliates of NACCHO include:
Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance -Northern Territory (AMSANT)
Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC)
Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA)
Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)
NSW Department of Health
NSW Health is the state government body primarily responsible for the planning and provision of health services within NSW. NSW Health and the AH&MRC work together under the NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership Agreement, originally signed in 1995 and revised and re-signed in 1996/97 and 2000/01. The Partnership Agreement can be downloaded by clicking here.
In 2003, NSW Health released the NSW Health Aboriginal Health Impact Statement and guidelines. This report was designed to ensure that the needs of Aboriginal people are considered when new health policies and programs are developed by NSW Health staff. It provides advice on how to produce an Aboriginal Health Impact Statement. The process for developing the statement incorporates appropriate Aboriginal consultation/negotiation and respect and support for the diverse health needs of Aboriginal people. The Report can be downloaded by clicking here.
Justice Health Service
Justice Health is a specialist entity within the NSW Health department. It has the responsibility of providing health care to inmates in New South Wales' correctional centres, periodic detention centres and a number of police cell complexes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are over-represented in the correctional system and the AH&MRC and Justice Health work together under a signed Memorandum of Understanding to improve their health care and health outcomes. Many member Services of the AH&MRC deliver primary health care and health related services directly to Aboriginal people in correctional institutions in NSW.
The Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)
The OATSIH was established in the mid-1990s when responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health was transferred from ATSIC to the Commonwealth department responsible for mainstream health. OATSIH has had responsibility for providing funding to Aboriginal community controlled health and substance misuse services since. The long-term strategy of the Office is to improve the access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to comprehensive primary health care services and the OATSIH works in partnership with governments and the Aboriginal Community Controlled health sector.
Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations of NSW
AH&MRC works cooperatively with other peak Aboriginal organizations in NSW and, as a member of the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Bodies, is currently providing input to the NSW post-ATSIC planning and administrative arrangements and the Premier’s New Ways of Doing Business.
Members of the Coalition comprise:
- Health sector: Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC)
- Land and land-related economic development sector: NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC)
- Child Care and Child Protection sector: Aboriginal Children’s Services (ACS)
- Juvenile Justice sector: Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council (AJAC)
- Housing sector: Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO)
- Education sector: Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG )
Rural Doctors Network (RDN)
The NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) aims to support a continuing and high quality rural medical workforce in NSW. RDN provides education and support for rural doctors, administers medical undergraduate programs and scholarships on behalf of the NSW Health Department, and administers the Rural and Remote General Practice Program (RRGP) on behalf of the Commonwealth.
AH&MRC is involved on the RDN Board and is also active in the Rural Medical Support Forum. AH&MRC is concerned to work with RDN to improve the chronic shortages of qualified GPs working in Aboriginal health in rural and remote ACCHSs. Through its working relationship with RDN and the Forum, AH&MRC is able to inform member ACCHSs of available grants and provide strategic advice in relation to improving recruitment, retention and sustainability of the rural and remote medical workforce.
General Practice Education and Training (GPET)
AH&MRC, through its Workforce Policy Development Officer, contributed to the development of the GPET Framework of General Practice Training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (September 2003).
As part of the roll-out of this Framework, GPET in 2004 offered AH&MRC funding for a part-time Policy position. AH&MRC reached agreement to employ from November 2004 a part-time Medical Policy Officer whose initial focus is on supporting member ACCHSs to employ Commonwealth-funded GP Registrars by achieving accreditation as Indigenous Health Training Posts .
www.gpet.com.au
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
The RACGP sets the standards for GP accreditation that apply to the GP Clinics located within member ACCHSs as well as to private sector GP Clinics. AH&MRC intends to deploy during 2005 its part-time Medical Policy Officer to assist ACCHSs achieve accreditation through these RACGP standards. This accreditation has financial benefits for member ACCHSs.
The Rural Faculty of the RACGP has been commissioned by DOHA to project manage the piloting of a national Cultural Safety Training Program aimed at GPs and GP Registrars. This Training Program is being developed by a project team located within the Western Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (WAACCHO). AH&MRC has membership on the Reference Group that is oversighting this project.
www.racgp.org.au
Alliance of Divisions of General Practitioners
The Alliance provides statewide coordination and support to regional Divisions of General Practice. Its Strategic Plan requires improved relationships between regional Divisions and ACCHSs. There are a range of specific activities to be completed in 2004-2005, including:
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Identify ways to improve relationships between the 37 Divisions and ACCHSs – there are 20 urban and 17 rural Divisions and 40 ACCHSs and a number of Aboriginal community controlled outposts, health committees and health-related services.
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Support the development of resources and protocols for Divisions on working collaboratively with ACCHSs
AH&MRC will be targeting practical implementation of these activities from January 2005.
The Alliance is responsible for project managing in NSW the implementation of the DOHA/Health Insurance Commission (HIC) GP Access to Broadband Technology initiative that encompasses both private sector GPs and ACCHS-based GPs. AH&MRC has a strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professional personnel capability and will be looking to consolidate the relationship with the Alliance for the roll-out of this initiative to member ACCHSs in 2005.
International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE)
ICEE's vision is a world in which avoidable blindness and vision impairment do not limit any person’s well-being, personal development, employment and leisure, and family and community involvement. This is a world in which all people are able to exercise their right to sight.
AH&MRC manages an Aboriginal Eye and Visioncare Program in partnership with the International Centre for Eye Care Education (ICEE) The genesis of this Program was a recognition in November 1999 by Vision 2020 Australia that Aboriginal people suffer 10 times the rate of blindness from preventable causes and attend eyecare practitioners in far lower numbers than other members of the Australian population. Vision 2020: The Right to Sight is a global initiative designed to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
AH&MRC, ICEE and OATSIH (NSW Office) agreed that:
- OATSIH NSW will fund equipment for the establishment of an initial eye clinic at the AMS Redfern
- ICEE and AH&MRC would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) resulting in ICEE providing optometric services to support the 7 Aboriginal Eye Health Coordinators at 7 ACCHSs located in Wagga Wagga, Walgett, Wellington, Kempsey, Narooma/Bega, Bourke and Broken Hill, with other locations as agreed
- All consultations would be bulk billed and all patients would be offered optical appliances through the NSW Government’s spectacle program, Visioncare NSW
- The AH&MRC Board and member ACCHSs would work with ICEE to promote the program, providing space, staff, transport and other assistance
- ICEE works in partnership with ACCHSs to deliver services
- Wherever possible, ICEE would utilise the services of a relatively local optometrist in providing eyecare services.
The Program has now established clinics at 70 metropolitan, rural and remote locations. ICEE approached the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) at Broken Hill for flights to be available for ICEE Optomestrists and other staff to fly to participating ACCHSs. The first ICEE team flight was made to Walgett in December 1999. At the end of 2003 there had been approximately 8,000 consultations and more than 5,000 Aboriginal people in need have received free spectacles through the NSW Government’s Spectacle scheme.
The Program delivers three levels of service:
- Aboriginal Eye Health Coordinators, trained by the ICEE, each with a screening kit enabling testing of the seven aspects of eye and visioncare. Coordinators are encouraged to visit schools, preschools, isolated and remote communities to screen and to educate others in screening techniques.
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Optometric examinations of people referred from screenings, self referrals, and referrals from ACCHSs, GPs and other sources.
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Ophthalmologist services, including ophthalmic surgery, delivered at a regional hospital. The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Ophthamologists (RANZCO) cooperates fully in providing ophthamological services to pre-screened patients referred by the ACCHS-based Optometrists. The NSW Health Minister agreed to make beds available for such surgery.
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Click here - Locations ofAMS-ICEE Eye Clinics/Eyecare Services |
Vision CRC
Vision CRC is one of about 70 Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) nation-wide. Vision CRC is operated as a cooperative by agreement between ICEE and several other specialist eye institutions. The general objective of establishing Vision CRC in 2003 was to assemble a multidisciplinary team with the skills, knowledge and capabilities to provide new ways of treating and correcting defects of vision and conditions of the eye. Implementing approaches included research, education and “in particular to meet the eyecare needs of the indigenous people of Australia…” .
Accordingly, AH&MRC and Vision CRC signed a Project Agreement for seven years from 2003/04 to 2009. The Project will develop and implement a unique education curriculum to empower Aboriginal Health Workers and health care providers such as ACCHSs. The Project’s stated outcomes are:
- Improved access for Aboriginal people to high quality, culturally appropriate holistic eye health care services.
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Development of awareness of Aboriginal health care providers to eye health needs through the inclusion of eye health education components in all relevant education programs
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Increased opportunities for early intervention through delivery of eye health care in a holistic setting.
Aboriginal Eye Health Education Project
With funding provided by Vision CRC, AH&MRC commenced work during 2004 on the development of a competency-based Course on Aboriginal Eye Health. This Course will be made available as an elective Unit for Aboriginal Health Workers as part of their professional training.
Vision 2020
Vision 2020 Australia is part of Vision 2020 Australia: The Right To Sight, a worldwide initiative of the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Vision 2020 Australia is made up of over 40 Australian organisations working in partnership toward eliminating avoidable blindness and vision loss by the year 2020. As a partner organisation, AH&MRC is a participant on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Committee which is integral in setting the agenda for Vision 2020 Australia’s work for Aboriginal Communities.
Vision 2020 Australia - Working together to prevent avoidable blindness and improve vision care
Institute for Health Research (IHR)
IHR is a coalition of universities and research centres in NSW, working to foster world-class research to improve health outcomes, services and planning. The IHR has partnered with the AH&MRC to establish the Centre for Research into Improving Aboriginal Health (CRIAH) which not only advances and prioritises Aboriginal health research projects but also encourages Aboriginal participation in Aboriginal health research. Click here for CRIAH.
Aboriginal College of Health Service Executives –NSW (ACHSE)
AH&MRC and the ACHSE have cooperated in the development and implementation of the Aboriginal Health Management Training Program (AHMTP) since 1997. The AHMTP was reviewed by AH&MRC Consultancy Service in 2004 and the program will be restructured from 2005.
www.achse.org.au
Hepatitis C Council of NSW
The Hepatitis C Council is an independent community-based organisation providing information, support and advocacy to people affected by hepatitis C in New South Wales and Australia. The AH&MRC and the Hepatitis C Council are committed to developing a strategic and sustainable approach to working together to prevent further transmission of hepatitis C and to improve care, treatment and support for people who are affected by hepatitis C in Aboriginal communities. A Memorandum of Understanding will be entered into to outline the ways in which the AH&MRC and the Hepatitis C Council work together on agreed strategies.
The Council of Social Service of New South Wales (NCOSS)
NCOSS is the peak body for the social and community services sector in NSW. More than 800,000 people in New South Wales live in poverty and NCOSS, as an advocate for their social needs, works closely with the AH&MRC in seeking social justice for Aboriginal communities in NSW. The AH&MRC and NCOSS are developing a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that the two organisations collaborate effectively to achieve social justice for Aboriginal people