Summary

Primary health care

  • In 2011-12, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health-care services, funded by the Australian Government, provided 2.6 million episodes of health care to about 445,000 clients. Compared with 2010-11, there was a 5% increase in episodes of care and a 3% increase in the number of clients reported. About 4 in 5 clients (79% or 350,000) were Indigenous.
  • About 5,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, including 3,500 FTE health staff and 2,000 FTE managerial, administrative, support and other staff, worked for, and were paid by, health services providers. This is similar to the previous year. These staff were assisted in the delivery of primary health care by 395 FTE visiting health professionals who were paid for by other organisations.
  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people held more than half (57%) of the FTE positions paid by health services providers.

Substance use

  • In 2011-12, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander substance use services (funded by the Australian Government) provided treatment and assistance for substance use issues to about 32,600 clients, an increase of 14% compared with 2010-11. More than 4 in 5 clients (83% or 27,000) were Indigenous.
  • About 1,040 FTE staff from a variety of health (620 FTE) and managerial, administrative, support and other staff (420 FTE) worked for and, were paid by, health services providers. These staff were assisted in the delivery of substance use treatment by 58 FTE visiting health professionals who were paid for by other organisations.
  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people held more than half (64%) of the FTE positions paid by health services providers.

Bringing Them Home and Link Up counselling

  • In 2011-12, Bringing Them Home and Link Up counselling services (funded by the Australian Government) provided counselling to about 9,800 clients, a decrease of about 17% compared with 2010-11. Most (96% or 9,400) clients were Indigenous.
  • A total of 129 counsellors (113 FTE) were employed by the counselling services. Most services providers (83%) had at least one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander counsellor.

Data quality

  • Data with significant and non-rectifiable quality issues were not included in this report. It should also be noted that some data presented in this report-particularly around client numbers, episodes of care and client contacts-were estimates of actual figures and should be used and interpreted with caution.
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