Update: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Project

30 September 2010

Health Workforce Australia (HWA) is undertaking a major workforce development project that aims to identify how the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker workforce can be strengthened to deliver care in response to the known burden and distribution of disease in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers have very different roles all over Australia. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers help to drive patients to and from health services. Some provide a cultural liaison role between patients and health care staff. In some cases, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers take on more and more clinical responsibilities because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are unable to access other health professionals like doctors, nurses and allied health staff.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers play a very important role in closing the health care gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. This project recognises the valuable contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers make to their communities and their people.

This project will develop a national picture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker workforce information such as location, role, skills, qualifications and interface with other sections of the health workforce. It will also provide information to inform the development of national standards; scope of practice; workforce roles; career pathways and interaction with other health professionals.

HWA will work closely with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector and public health services during the project. We will collaborate on a national scale to ensure the voices of stakeholdersacross Australia are heard and acknowledged.

We aim to incorporate and build upon findings from previous projects, rather than duplicate valuable work already undertaken by the Government and Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector organisations.

Strong leadership is being provided by key members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community at every step of this project.

Over time, the changes to be proposed by the project will aim to assist the health system to be more effective in responding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their health needs.

This project will also gather a body of evidence to inform the developmental work of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) in the lead up to the registration of appropriately qualified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners on 1 July 2012. Whilst the project will provide key information for consideration, decisions on NRAS will be made by the Health Ministers and the Registration Board

This project, led by HWA, is assisted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Australian Health Workforce Institute.

For further information, please contact:

Health Workforce Australia

1800 707 351

http://www.hwa.gov.au