Aboriginal health funding boost in Perth’s South Metropolitan Area

Aboriginal people living in Perth’s south metropolitan area will benefit from a $12 million funding boost to improve their health under the COAG National Partnership Agreements.

The area was allocated $12 million as part of a $128.7 million reform program which will be rolled-out across Western Australia in the next four years. The south metropolitan area will also benefit from an additional $12.1 million allocated to programs for the metropolitan region and $36.3 million allocated to state-wide programs.

The program, announced by Health Minister Dr Kim Hames last month, represents the single biggest investment into Aboriginal health reform in the State’s history – funding more than 80 health programs and services for Aboriginal communities throughout metropolitan and regional WA.

Hon Nick Goiran MLC, member for the South Metropolitan Region said the initiatives funded in the south metropolitan area would offer culturally appropriate health services to Aboriginal people, enhance child and maternal health, promote healthy lifestyles, chronic disease management and improve access to primary health care.

Service agreements were finalised this month and it is anticipated these programs will create over 30 jobs across the southern suburbs.

“This ground-breaking partnership between Aboriginal people and the State Government signals a new way for WA Health to plan and develop health services with Aboriginal communities,” Hon Nick Goiran said.

 Spokesperson for the South Metropolitan Aboriginal Health Planning Forum Val Swift-Otero said it was exciting to see the development of partnerships between the Aboriginal community and health service providers. 

“With the commitment to working differently and the employment of more Aboriginal staff we look forward to seeing an improvement in the delivery of health services for Aboriginal people“.

The initiatives funded in the south metropolitan area are:

• The Rockingham Kwinana Division of General Practice will receive $869,970 to work in partnership with the local community and Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services to provide an Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre for Aboriginal people in the Rockingham Kwinana area. 
• The Fremantle General Practice (GP) Network will receive $720,475 to employ three Aboriginal health professionals to increase the range of services available to local Aboriginal people and to reduce the barriers to attend a GP clinic.  
• The South Metro Area Health Service will receive $1,674,405 to work in partnership with various organisations, including GP Down South, to establish a range of primary care services in the purpose-built Health and Wellness Centre recently completed in Mandurah.  
• Funding of $322,520 will be provided to Rockingham Kwinana Division of General Practice to establish a primary care outreach clinic at Medina Primary School. This will be delivered by staff from Kwinana Division of General Practice and Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal health workers.
• The South Metropolitan Area Health Service will receive $3,226,725 to employ eight Aboriginal health liaison officers to provide support for Aboriginal patients using hospital and primary health care services.  , An officer will be based at Royal Perth Hospital, Bentley Armadale mental health and two each will be based at Armadale/Bentley, Fremantle and Rockingham/Peel hospitals.  Additionally, Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service will receive funding to employ an Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer at the Maddington clinic.
• The Canning Division of General Practice will receive $153,081 to provide a self-management program for chronic disease, called Living Improvements for Everyone (LIFE), for Aboriginal people in the south east corridor of the Perth metropolitan area.
• The South Coastal Women’s Health Service will receive $374,644 to expand the primary health care and emotional and social wellbeing components of their Aboriginal Men’s Health Group. This will include regular General Practitioner Clinics, camps, provide transport and employ health workers to assist men in attending health appointments in their wider community.
• The South Metropolitan Public Health Unit will receive $871,502 to employ two adolescent health staff to provide community-based health programs and resources for young Aboriginal people.
• The South Metropolitan Area Health Service will receive $2,089,678 to work in partnership with the Women’s and Newborn Health Service to develop Aboriginal Maternity Group Practice Teams across the south metropolitan area to provide care for pregnant women and their families.
• The Child and Adolescent Health Service will receive $1,700,000 to expand the Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health Program to the Armadale area. Two Aboriginal health workers and two community health nurses will be employed to improve the level of engagement with Aboriginal families and to increase the number of infants and young children offered child health and developmental assessments. 

 Hon Nick Goiran MLC said Aboriginal people had been involved in both the planning and development process to improve the delivery of Aboriginal health services across WA.

 Since August 2009, Aboriginal people have taken part in Aboriginal health planning forums in the metropolitan area and regional WA to develop local health plans.