The Indigenous workforce is integral to ensuring that the health system can address the needs of Indigenous Australians. A key feature of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) is the provision of culturally safe care, and research has found the ACCHS sector to be a leading employer of Indigenous Australians ( Campbell et al. Recognition and understanding of the diversity of Indigenous cultures and regional variations is also vital to providing culturally safe care ( Scrimgeour & Scrimgeour 2008). Culturally safe health care includes the provision of services underpinned by Indigenous Australians’ beliefs and values ( AH&MRC 2015). The provision of culturally safe care is essential to meet the health care needs of Indigenous Australians effectively and requires health professionals to have considered power relations, cultural differences and patients’ rights ( AHMAC 2016). The accessibility of a health service goes beyond its physical availability and also encompasses other aspects, such as whether it is culturally safe ( Scrimgeour & Scrimgeour 2008). This under-representation potentially contributes to reduced access to health services for the broader Indigenous Australian population. The health-related occupations with the largest gap between rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees were nurses, medical practitioners and allied health professionals Why is it important?Īboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are significantly under-represented in the health workforce.
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