Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the rate First Nations people are dying in the Northern Territory remains higher than any other jurisdiction. It comes as staff turnover in remote clinics is at alarming rates, with health professionals urging clinicians to practice culturally informed care.
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00:00Thousands of First Nations Territorians come through the doors of Royal Darwin Hospital,
00:07but a recent qualitative study interviewing patients has identified key barriers to care.
00:12It's a very foreign environment, let alone the communication and the Western dominantly built institutions.
00:20And then they leave and then it's incomplete care and then their health decline and pretty much die, people die.
00:28Annual data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show First Nations people in the Northern Territory
00:34are continuing to die at the highest rates of any Australian jurisdiction
00:38and nearly three times the rate of non-Indigenous Territorians.
00:42No surprise for experts who've long drawn attention to the alarming burden of chronic disease amongst First Nations people.
00:49We have seen significant reduction in particularly early onset heart attack
00:57and we have seen significant improvement in life expectancy for both Aboriginal men and women.
01:05Meantime, remote clinics are warning conditions like these are contributing to serious struggles
01:10attracting and retaining staff amid regional workforce shortages nationwide.
01:15Which is not great for the community and it's not great for their Aboriginal colleagues in the clinic.
01:22We don't have any brilliant ideas at the moment.
01:25We are definitely looking at alternative models of care.
01:30The ABC asked the NT government about its plans to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Territorians
01:36and address staff turnover at remote clinics and access to culturally appropriate care.
01:41They said they were committed to empowering communities at a local level to address the social determinants of health.