Follow-up treatment and strengthening and expanding health services

The Australian Government is working with the Northern Territory Government and the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector to strengthen primary health-care for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory and provide follow-up treatment after the child health checks.

The expanded services include alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and support services for children who have suffered trauma.

An analysis of 7733 child health checks shows that:

• 66.9 per cent of children have received one or more referrals
• 32.1 per cent of children have been referred for dental care
• 37.7 per cent of children have been referred for further primary health care
• 11.8 per cent of children have been referred to a paediatrician
• 8.2 per cent of children have been referred for specialist ear, nose and throat services.

The Australian Government is committed to ensuring that all follow-up services identified as required through the child health checks are provided.

Follow-up treatment is being delivered through the existing primary health-care infrastructure in the Northern Territory, with funding provided to the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services and Aboriginal community-controlled health services.

The Australian Government has also funded the establishment of a mobile outreach service linked to the existing Sexual Assault Referral Centre in the Northern Territory. The service will work with children and families affected by child abuse and trauma.

A package of measures has also been developed and rolled out to address the need for increased alcohol and other drug withdrawal, treatment and rehabilitation services across the Northern Territory.

Planning is underway to expand primary health-care services to deliver long-term, sustainable improvements in the Northern Territory primary health-care system that will assist in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes in the Territory.

For more information, visit the Department of Health and Ageing website.