With only 15 years remaining to close the gap in health inequality, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling for greater access to primary health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities.
The need to provide better access to general practice is highlighted in the 2015 Close the Gap Progress and Priorities Report, released today, and supported by the RACGP, a member of the Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee.
Chair of the National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Associate Professor Brad Murphy said by increasing access to general practice, the detection, treatment and management of chronic health conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities would be improved.
“There are high levels of undetected, treatable and preventable chronic conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that significantly impact on life expectancy so it is vital these communities have easy access to GPs,” A/Prof Murphy.
RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones and A/Prof Murphy Murphy today attended the Close the Gap Parliamentary event in Canberra to highlight the crucial role GPs play in providing equitable healthcare for all Australians.
A/Prof Murphy said the RACGP was also calling for the Federal Government to restore and increase funding for anti-smoking initiatives which were vital to help curb rates of smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
“Most Australians are privileged to enjoy a world class healthcare system that translates to one of the highest life expectancies of any country in the world; but this is not true for every Australian,” A/Prof Murphy said.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience higher rates of preventable illness such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes and can expect to live 10–17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians.
“GPs play a vital role in efforts to Close the Gap by addressing the barriers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients face to quality healthcare through direct consultation with the Indigenous community.”
The RACGP is proud to join almost 200,000 Australians committed to ending the health equality gap by 2030 and looks forward to the outcomes of this Parliamentary event being released in the lead up to Close the Gap Day on 19 March.
The RACGP is committed to supporting efforts to tackle health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and acknowledges the daily work of many of its members to improve health outcomes for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.