PCD Strategy Evaluation 2007.pdf - NT Health Digital Library ...

people (Figure 3.5). Each layer brought together the four main stakeholders and members of theHealth Forum – AMSANT, ATSIC, Territory Health Services and the Commonwealth Departmentof Health & Aged Care.The 2003 Aboriginal Health Strategic Framework, reasserted the 1989 National Aboriginal HealthStrategy‟s commitment to Indigenous community controlled primary health care services, namingthe new PHCAP as the mechanism and making a commitment to supporting the development ofIndigenous Health Boards. The document was signed by all State and Territory Health Ministers.Despite this support by 2005 a renal physician noted “At the time of writing, the development ofzone strategic plans for primary health care are in their infancy, and PHCAP fatigue is prevalent.”This is evident in the lack of recent documentation about the health zones.3.5.2 Funding Community Controlled Health ServicesObjective 8: Aboriginal community controlled health services will be funded to deliverkey preventive programs, and early detection and best practice clinical managementservices, to defined segments of the population in specific locations.There are 12 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) in the NT. Thepeak body for ACCHOs in the NT is Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT (AMSANT),which was formally established in 1994. Aboriginal Health Services were funded by theCommonwealth Government through ATSIC until 1 July 1995. In 1995, the funding responsibilityfor Aboriginal primary health care was transferred from ATSIC to the Office of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Health, in the Department Health and Ageing.Following the transfer, AMSANT became involved in the detailed work of setting up the newarrangements, including drafting and commenting on the provisions of the FrameworkAgreements that each State/Territory Government would sign (along with the Commonwealth,ATSIC and the community controlled sector) specifying the roles and responsibilities of theseplayers, and setting up the actual planning structures. The NT Framework Agreement was signedoff by the Northern Territory Health Minister in April 1998.Since then, AMSANT has chaired the NT Aboriginal Health Forum (NTAHF) and the CentralAustralian and Top End regional planning bodies (CARIHPC and TERIHPC). By 2001, AMSANT,working with the NTAHF planning partners, secured PHCAP funding for five health zones inChapter 3: Progress Against PCDS Objectives – Evaluation of the NT Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy 2007 62