Enabling cultural safety in Indigenous primary healthcare

Abstract

The Aboriginal Health Access Centre (AHAC) and Aboriginal Community Health Centre Model of Wholistic Health and Wellbeing is critical to addressing inequities and barriers that limit access to comprehensive primary healthcare for Indigenous people. Even with this model in place, there are multiple points of intersection with mainstream healthcare service providers across health sectors. Further, there is considerable cultural diversity among Indigenous healthcare staff and professional groups. These factors place Indigenous people at risk of culturally unsafe experiences causing harm. Given this, it is essential that leaders focus on cultural safety education to address both intercultural frictions within the Indigenous centres and systemic and structural racism widespread within the broader healthcare system. This article explores how one AHAC has undertaken to examine these complex challenges, while offering some direction on leadership within the sector.