AIDA Welcomes National Commitment to First Nations‑Led Health Reform Through Schedule B

The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) welcomes the integration of Schedule B: Better Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the five-year Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA), following recent National Cabinet and Joint Health and Mental Health Ministers’ discussions.

This integration marks an important step in embedding responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes within Australia’s core health funding and governance arrangements.

It reinforces that health equity is a core responsibility of the entire health system, not an optional policy commitment, and must be delivered consistently across jurisdictions to avoid uneven progress.

AIDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Peter Malouf, says the reform represents a shift towards genuine structural change that places First Nations leadership and governance at the centre.

“Real reform requires the right voices at the table with the influence to shape decisions. As the peak body for the Indigenous medical workforce, AIDA plays a critical role in helping lead, design and deliver the changes needed to deliver health equity for our communities.”

Governments have committed $450 million through the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reform Fund, with priorities to be developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders.

This investment will fund priorities arising from the schedule that enable community partnerships, culturally and clinically safe care, anti-racism strategies, strengthen Indigenous data access and governance, and Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property protection.

Dr Malouf highlights that embedding Schedule B within the NHRA elevates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health reform from aspiration to shared intergovernmental responsibility.

“This moves us away from piecemeal program-based responses and towards a nationally consistent approach that reduces fragmentation across jurisdictions. It also creates clearer structures for monitoring progress, reporting outcomes and ensuring accountability,” he said.

The reform also reinforces that cultural safety and workforce equity are core clinical safety issues. This is reflected in all state and territories committing to ensuring health systems are free of racism, and responsive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and lived experience.

These expectations recognise that safe and respectful workplace experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors must be treated as indicators of system performance and drivers of better care.

Dr Malouf notes that principles of self-determination and data sovereignty must sit at the heart of this reform.

“Communities must retain control over the data and cultural knowledge that shape decisions about their health. This is foundational to building a system that delivers sustainable and meaningful change,” he stated.

This reflects AIDA’s longstanding policy position that cultural safety and workforce equity are core clinical safety issues, a principle now embedded within Schedule B and reinforced through AIDA’s Cultural Safety Training, which is developed and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and accredited for CPD with several specialist medical colleges

AIDA has contributed to the development of Schedule B through its engagement in national First Nations health leadership structures, including its work with the National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA). The organisation has consistently advocated for strong, binding accountability mechanisms to ensure reform commitments translate into measurable change and that systems are held accountable when they fail to deliver culturally safe and equitable care.

While AIDA welcomes Schedule B, Dr Malouf cautions that implementation will determine whether the reform delivers its intended impact.

“Schedule B provides the foundation, but it is not the end point. The true measure of success will be improvements in health outcomes, workforce experiences and accountability across the system. AIDA will continue to work with governments, health services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to ensure the commitments are implemented with integrity and strengthened over time.”

The states and territories have agreed to work in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professional Organisations, such as AIDA, to develop and deliver jurisdictional and LHN Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce plans and initiatives to ensure:
i. Culturally safe recruitment processes
ii. Active recruitment processes
iii. Initiatives to ensure vertical/horizontal distribution of workforce
iv. Retention programs and initiatives

AIDA will remain an active contributor to this work, ensuring Schedule B supports enduring structural reform, not short-term change.

ENDS 

About AIDA

The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) is the peak professional body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and medical students. AIDA’s purpose is to strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce, from students to specialists, through advocacy, leadership, and cultural mentorship.

We also continue to work towards and advocate for a culturally safe Australian healthcare system, free from racism, and with accountability measures in place. Our vision is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have self-determination and equitable health and life outcomes in a culturally safe health system.