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Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Coordination Unit

In 1995, QAS Far Northern Region Executive Director David Eeles commissioned a report investigating the establishment of a pre-hospital care model for isolated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This report was a significant step forward in the Queensland Ambulance Service’s endeavour to provide the highest level of pre-hospital care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote communities. The report, A Pre-Hospital Care Model for Isolated Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities, has been adopted, and is now being circulated throughout Australia to all ambulance, health and government heads for their information.

The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Coordination Unit was established in October 1998 in accordance with the recommendations of that report. Paul Elliott, who is well known throughout the far north for his work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, has been appointed as State Coordinator of the Unit. Paul has been working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs for the past five years, and much of the groundwork for service to indigenous communities and recruitment of indigenous ambulance officers to the QAS, was achieved through his efforts while managing the QAS Training Unit for the Far Northern Region.

The Unit, while based in Cairns, operates statewide. It is developing and implementing a comprehensive policy framework to provide ambulance services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In 1998 A Pre-Hospital Model for Isolated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities was published. This was a project to research the establishment of a Pre-hospital care model for indigenous communities, and was funded by the Rural Health Support, Education and Training (RHSET) Program of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, and the Queensland Ambulance Service

In 2000 – Enhancing the Capacity of Cape York Communities to Prevent and Respond to Health Care Emergencies and Injuries service plan was published the outcomes from this Report are as follows:

Coen Field Office - An initiative from one of the recommendations of this report was the establishment of a Field Office at Coen to service the communities of Coen, Lockhart River, Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Aurukun and the Outstations associated with these communities. The Field Office was established and the Field Officer appointed in June 2002;
Kowanyama Field Office -The QAS has also now secured the capital and recurrent funding for the Kowanyama Field Office. It is envisaged that this office will be established late in 2003, and will take over from the Coen Field Office the areas of Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw;
Further recommendations of the Enhancing the Capacity of Cape York Communities to Prevent and Respond to Health Care Emergencies and Injuries service plan are being implemented by the QAS Field Officer in Coen.

In 2001 – Enhancing the Capacity of Islander Communities to Prevent and Respond to Health Care Emergencies and Injuries service plan was published and the outcomes from the Report are as follows:

Horn Island Field Office - An initiative of one of the recommendations of this report was the establishment of a Field Officer at Horn Island to service the communities of the Torres Strait Islands. The Field Office was established and the Field Officer appointed in February 2003;
Further recommendations of the Enhancing the Capacity of Islander Communities to Prevent and Respond to Health Care Emergencies and Injuries service plan are being implemented by the Field Officer in Horn Island that involves ongoing negotiations with Queensland Health Primary Health Care on Thursday Island.

2003 - The Department of Emergency Services established a whole of Department Indigenous Coordination Unit based in Cairns that incorporated the QAS Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Coordination Unit. The establishment of the Unit effectively coordinates resources from a multi-service perspective, and ensures collaborative consultation and negotiations with relevant government, non-government, and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities to meet their specific service delivery needs.

The Unit is developing and coordinating an innovative approach to the delivery of cross-agency / divisions, competency training based on identified community needs. Furthermore, in partnership with allied agencies, it is contributing to the development of community plans and multi-agency action plans.

The Unit is working towards effectively responding and contributing to the government’s Cape York Justice Study and the response to the Justice Study - Meeting Challenges, Making Choices, as well as the Ten Year Partnership strategies. The DES ICU is also coordinating the implementation of the Department’s Five Year Plan for Safer and Healthier Murri and I’lan Communities, 2002-2006, and effectively supporting a multi-agency approach for the implementation of and reporting on appropriate framework and service delivery outcomes.