Close the Gap Strategy and Government's Role in Bridging the Gap by 2030

This paper discusses the Close the Gap Strategy and the government’s role it has to play in bridging the gap by 2030. It explores the differences between the 'Close the Gap' campaign and the 'Closing the Gap' Australian governments' policy framework. It also examines the meaning of 'funding myth' in the AHRC Close the Gap Report 2018. Additionally, it discusses the challenges faced by patient escorts and the role of the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer in delivering culturally safe care to patients.

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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ welfare has been neglected for long.
The gap between them and the non-indigenous people is getting wider contrary to the objective
of the Close the Gap campaign and policies. Matt is a good example of the efforts that should be
implemented in order to achieve the Close the Gap vision by 2030 (Close the Gap, 2018).
Matt has been an inpatient and the special treatment is aimed at bridging the socioeconomic and
health gap between his family and the non-indigenous people in Australia. The Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people should be enabled to access the facilities that are basic for
their survival and uplifting of their conditions to be able engage in economic activities (Haber &
Day, 2014). This paper discusses the Close the Gap Strategy and the government’s role it has to
play in bridging the gap by 2030.
Differences between the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign, and the ‘Closing the Gap’ Australian
governments’ policy framework.
‘Close the Gap’ and ‘Closing the Gap’ are operating as two side of the same coin. The
two strategies have the same mission, closing the gap between the ATSI and the non-indigenous
people of Australia (Davidson, 2018). Close the Gap is operated by the ATSI and Non-
indigenous health groups, professional bodies in charge of health, and the organizations
championing for human rights. The campaign goal of the Close the Gap is to advance the health
and life expectancy of ATSI like that of the Non-indigenous people (Close the Gap, 2018).
The mission is to be achieved within one generation (by end of 2030). The Close the Gap
framework of achieving equality was drafted in 2005 by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Social Justice Commissioner by adopting Social Justice Report 2005 (Russell, 2013).
Currently the Close the Gap campaign has a support of more than two hundred thousand
Australians. The Close the Gap campaign introduced their first National Close the Gap Day in

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the year 2007. The National Close the Gap Day is celebrated in all the States and Territories
from the year 2009 (Close the Gap, 2018). The Close the Gap campaign convinced the Prime
Minister (Rudd) and the leader of opposition to committing their efforts to close the gap between
the ATSI and the Non-indigenous people at Close the Gap Campaign’s National Indigenous
Health Equality Summit in 2008. The signing led to a Close the Gap Statement of Intent (Close
the Gap, 2018).
Closing the Gap is named after Coag’s National Strategy on handling of the Indigenous
Inequality in the year 2008. The Indigenous Reform Agreement stated six areas it targeted to
bridge the differences between the indegenous and Non-indegenous people. The Closing the Gap
established to close the gap of life expectancy within a generation. On average a ATSI lives 10-
17 years less than the Non-indegenous people (Close the Gap, 2018). The Agreement also
determined to provide early childhood education to all the four-year old children years living in
the remote communities in less than five years. The government through the Closing the Gap
program aims to reduce the deaths among children with less than five years in a period of ten
years. The employment gap between the Indegenous and Non-indegenous should be reduced by
half in a period of ten years.
The meaning of ‘funding myth’ in the AHRC Close the Gap Report 2018
The funding is the main drive to achieve the set objectives. The government has however
been reluctant in allocating enough funds to the show their commitment to bring equality in
health and life expectancy (Close the Gap, 2018). The myth that Dedicated Health
Expenditure is wasting of the taxpayers’ resources. If the Australian Government is committed to
bridge the gap, then their involvement should be proportionate to the needs of the ATSI. The
higher funding on the ATSI should be sustained to counter the 2.3 times that the disease is

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burdening them than the non-indigenous people. The Australian Government spending was not
commensurate of the disease burden. Every $1.00 spent on a Non-indegenous person compared
with $1.38 per ATSI in the 2013-2014 budget (Close the Gap, 2018).
The Non-indegenous usually have the private insurance coverage in addition to the
allocation form the government. This allows them to access the private health care providers for
the health issues. The ATSI can only depend on the government funding to cater for their
complex health issues. The health issues facing the ATSI is due to ‘systematic’ and ‘market
failure’ from the side of the government (Close the Gap, 2018). The shortfall of the health
provision not covered by the government cannot be complemented by the private health care
providers. The Australian Government is ruling over the ever increasing life expectancy and
mortality gaps. The government in its’ six targets had purposed to reduce the mortality gap
through increased funding but has failed consistently to achieve this. The Government’s
interventions in the market forces that deal with health have not been satisfactory. The Close the
Gap campaign has always been pointing the Government lack of commitment to the targets it set.
The status quo cannot remain the same and the objectives be expected to be realized on time
(Altman, 2009). The funding to the ATSI should be increased to realize the Closing the Gap
Strategy.
Patient escort and the challenges they experience.
Patient escort is the provision of voluntary services to patients during their movement in
the healthcare facility (Creed & Spiers, 2010). Nurses can offer free help to the patients to move
from the inpatient wards to the discharge lounges awaiting their kin. Patient escort can also
happen when a patient is moving from one hospital to another. Communication is a challenge
when a patient is moved for one place to another without the prior knowledge of the concerned

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parties (Malamed, 2009). The cost of moving the patients can also be a deterrent to safe
movement of the patient (Malamed, 2009). In the hospital that don’t have the ambulances meant
for non-emergency services would proof costly to move discharging patient from the hospital to
their residence on an ambulance.
The other problem is racism and the favors on the basis of relations with the patient. The
ATSI are always looked down upon by the non-indegenous people. They are viewed to receive
undue attention from the special treatment of their kin. Mother of Matt has come to the health
facility and will need the help to transfer Matt home for care. The transfer of Matt from the
inpatient section to the discharge lounge. Time pressure can be a hindrance to the patient escort
of most nurses. They are needed to attend to emergencies awaiting their expertise (Creed &
Spiers, 2010). This can prevent the nurse practitioners from providing the much needed care
through patient escort. The government should employ more nurses to close the shortfall
experience in the health facilities. The culture difference between the nurses and patients can
lead to poor service provision. Language barrier is also a challenge. Communication can be hard
to take place.
The role of the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer and how this role may
support the delivery of culturally safe care to both Matt and his mother
The Indegenous Hospital Liaison Officer are the cultural bridges between the ATSI
patients and the health professionals. The Officers are very critical in breaking the obstacles of
communication in the health facilities between the ATSI patients and the health care providers.
The Liaison Officers also provide a conducive atmosphere to the ATSI patients and their
relatives in the health facilities (Hospital Liaison Officers. (2017). The officer supports them

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culturally, emotionally and providing them with information. The liaison officer would help Matt
to understand what is required of him and to pass his desires to the doctors too. The Liaison
Officer is also responsible for arranging for the travel and accommodation needs of the ATSI
patients. The liaison Officer will help in arranging and facilitating the stay and travel of Matt and
his mother between Townsville and Brisbane until Matt is fully recovered.
Matt is planning to transfer to the neatest health facility that is ATSI friendly. A Liaison
Officer shall help him to achieve this by advocating for him to be granted the referral that he is
comfortable with (Palliative care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
2017). The nurses at Community Hospital Interface Program (CHIP) should be made to
understand the need to have Matt at Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS)
for his care. The experience at TAIHS will be culturally appropriate to Matt. The liaison officer
should also provide educative sessions to the nurses that are operating at the Townville health
facility. The Liaison Officer shall help Matt and the mother when consulting on the special needs
that he shall needs during his medication period. The doctors and nurses may also want to
examine the history of the family during diagnosis hence the Officer shall help in the
discussions.
Conclusion
The ATSI have been marginalized in all aspect even after the government’s commitment
to apologize to them and to close the gap in their health and life expectancy with the non-
indegenous people (Preston, 2018). The targets that the government set through the Coag’s
National Strategy on handling of the Indigenous Inequality in the year 2008. There has been
funding myth that the ATSI Closing the Gap Strategy is adequately funded. The funding is not
commensurate with the needs that the gap that exist between them and the non-indegenous

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(Close the Gap, 2018). The patient escort is very important in improving the service provision
in a health facility. The satisfaction from the health practitioners engaging patient escort are great
in healing process of the patients. The Liaison Officers attached to hospitals are breaking the
obstacles in communication in the health facilities between the ATSI and the health
professionals.

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References
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