National Faculty of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health
Message from the Chair- Associate Professor Brad Murphy
This year marks the first anniversary of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. The faculty has gone from strength-to-strength and has been an exemplary example of its motto ‘working together’.
The RACGP officially launched the faculty at GP10 in Cairns. The launch featured distinguished speakers including The Hon Warren Snowdon, Minister for Indigenous Health; Mick Gooda, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Co-Chair of the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign; Dr Mark Wenitong from the Apunipima Cape York Health Council; and Megan Morris from the Department of Health and Ageing. Since our launch, our membership numbers have grown and I am pleased to report that almost 1000 GPs are now members of the faculty.
The Faculty Board has continued to provide leadership to the faculty and I thank members for their commitment and wise counsel. Their leadership culminated in the launch of four new resources that begin the faculty’s contribution to ensuring general practice is well resourced, informed and supported to provide culturally sensitive, patient centred, and holistic care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
These resources include:
- The updated RACGP Curriculum Statement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, detailing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for general practice
- An online activity: Introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness in general practice
- Educational criteria to adjudicate applications by training providers to deliver cultural awareness education and cultural safety training to participants in the RACGP QI&CPD Program
- RACGP Position Statement, ‘Identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australian general practice’, to explain a new indicator relating to this process in the RACGP Standards for general practices (4th edition).
At an organisational level, the faculty is pleased that the College is embracing the Welcome to Country ceremonies and Acknowledgment of Country practice as part of core College business. In addition, the first phase of cultural awareness training for RACGP staff has commenced and a new cultural protocol guide for staff and RACGP members is in development.
At GP10, RACGP members approved the sourcing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork for incorporation into a redesigned College ceremonial gown. This is an exciting project and the faculty has been sourcing artwork and artists to illustrate the RACGP’s journey in celebrating the traditional lands on which College members continue to practise the art of healing.
Over the coming year, the faculty looks forward to:
- Providing examination preparation support for Indigenous registrars
- Launching the new artwork for the College gown
- Providing representation and input into Close the Gap Coalition
- Developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander related questions for all components of the Fellowship examination
- Working with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to update the National guide to a preventive health assessment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Finally, at GP11 the faculty hosted its first elections and Annual General Meeting. This was a significant milestone in the journey of the faculty and I encourage RACGP members to join the faculty and to make an investment in its strong future.