Northern Australia health service delivery situational analysis

Summary

The aim of the Situational Analysis is to identify strategic long-term development and growth opportunities for the health sector in northern Australia, towards a goal of improving the health and prosperity of northern Australian communities.

The Situational Analysis is comprised of a series of outputs, namely: a literature review, export and demand analysis, SWOT analysis, research investment analysis, costing study and socialisation activities.

The project identified eight priority actions based on the findings of the desktop-based analysis and stakeholder consultations across the Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory health jurisdictions:

Support and enhance formal education and training of a fit-for-purpose culturally competent health workforce across all health disciplines and elements of rural health training pipelines;

Enhance professional support, career development and career pathways for rural health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce across all health disciplines;

Establish a cross-jurisdictional northern Australian health system network as an independent body;

Determine need and mechanisms to finance appropriate health service delivery models for rural and remote health service delivery;

Improve local amenities and infrastructure across sectors to reduce effects of adverse social determinants on health outcomes;

Undertake trials to develop and scale up place-based planning models;

Strengthen and grow northern-led research capacity and funding; and

Explore potential areas of export opportunity that deliver value for northern Australia.

This project identified key challenges and opportunities facing the health service delivery sector in northern Australian. It explored potential developmental scenarios and identified the most strategic research projects and development priorities for further investment. This included, but was not limited to, infrastructure, clinical issues, policy, new models of care, investment, knowledge, training, and human capital gaps, as well as research or alternative solutions to address them. A consortium of health service delivery providers across northern Australia brought contributed substantial applied research experience in areas such as health services, Indigenous health, and tropical health. Their involvement strengthened the quality and relevance of the synthesis and analysis, ensured ownership of the outputs, and provided a strong foundation for the continued growth and development of the northern Australian health service delivery sector.