NSW Ambulance Aboriginal Health Action Plan

Overview

Our team partnered with NSW Ambulance to design and implement its Aboriginal Health Action Plan (2024–2026) and to establish the organisation’s first Aboriginal Consultative Committee, a formal mechanism to embed Aboriginal voices, leadership, and cultural governance into service delivery and workforce planning across NSW.

This partnership reflects NSW Ambulance’s commitment to improving health equity, cultural safety, and access to emergency care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, while supporting the organisation’s vision for reconciliation, respect, and culturally responsive healthcare.

Our Role and Approach

We led a co-design process that brought together NSW Ambulance leadership, Aboriginal staff, community representatives, and sector partners to ensure the Plan and Committee reflected lived experience and cultural priorities.

Key elements of our work included:

• Facilitating statewide engagement sessions with Aboriginal staff, paramedics, and community stakeholders to identify barriers, opportunities, and priorities in emergency healthcare.
• Drafting the Aboriginal Health Action Plan 2024–2026, aligning its objectives with NSW Health’s Aboriginal Health Plan, Closing the Gap targets, and the NSW Health Equity Framework.
• Establishing the NSW Ambulance Aboriginal Consultative Committee (ACC), including the development of its governance structure, terms of reference, and membership model.
• Embedding cultural safety principles into policy, workforce development, and service delivery frameworks.

This work grounded NSW Ambulance’s approach to Aboriginal health in principles of shared decision-making, respect, accountability, and cultural leadership.

Key Outcomes

The partnership resulted in:

• The NSW Ambulance Aboriginal Health Action Plan 2024–2026, outlining strategic actions across workforce, community partnerships, data, and care delivery.
• The establishment of the NSW Ambulance Aboriginal Consultative Committee, ensuring ongoing Aboriginal representation in decision-making and governance.
• Strengthened internal capability and understanding of cultural safety, inclusion, and self-determination within NSW Ambulance.
• A clear roadmap for improving health outcomes and service experience for Aboriginal patients, families, and communities across the state.

Legacy and Impact

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in NSW Ambulance’s reconciliation and equity journey. By embedding Aboriginal leadership through both strategic planning and governance, NSW Ambulance is positioning itself as a model for culturally safe emergency healthcare in NSW.

We are proud to have contributed to a process that strengthens trust, representation, and shared accountability between Aboriginal communities and the health services that support them.