Working with Aboriginal communities
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the countries throughout NSW and Australia, and recognise the continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present.
Aboriginal people are the first peoples of Australia and have strong cultures and communities. The Cancer Institute NSW is committed to achieving health equity for Aboriginal peoples in NSW and to ensuring services respond to the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal people and cancer
Every day around five Aboriginal people are diagnosed with cancer. Aboriginal people have a slightly higher rate of cancer diagnosis, tend to get cancer at an earlier age and are approximately 40 per cent more likely to die from cancer than non-Aboriginal people.1,2
Primary care practitioners play an important role in cancer control and are well placed (through ACCHO’s or mainstream GP practices) to promote healthy lifestyles to reduce cancer risk, encourage regular population cancer screening, manage tests/referrals for people with possible cancers and support patients through their diagnosis/treatment and afterwards.
Aboriginal Health Check
Aboriginal people can access a 715-health check funded by Medicare (MBS item 715) every nine months. These checks are free at Aboriginal Medical Services and general practice bulk-billing clinics.
Providing health assessments for Aboriginal people and incorporating prevention and cancer screening into health assessment templates is an important step in supporting improved cancer screening participation and healthy lifestyle choices.
See further module information on patient centred care for Aboriginal communities.
Helpful resources
Ngununggula - Walking and Working Together: A manual for health professionals supporting Aboriginal people with Cancer
Developed by The Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service. This project has been a collaboration between the AH&MRC, University of Sydney (Michelle Dickson), UOW, and Menzies SHR and Coordinare PHN, and funded by Cancer Australia.
Access the following resources:
- Manual for health professionals supporting Aboriginal people with cancer.
- Quality Improvement appendices.
- Cancer webinars.
RACGP Resource Hub
Supporting effective, culturally safe primary healthcare.
Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer
Tailored information and resources on cancer screening and prevention for the Aboriginal health workforce.
Data Reference Manual for Communicare
NCSR: Connecting to the NCSR
Healthcare providers that have integrated their Clinical Information System with the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR), are able to interact directly with the NCSR from their existing software using the NCSR Hub.
- Clinical Information System Registration Guide including Communicare
- Clinical software integration
- Website
- Brochure (PDF)
Improving Data Quality in Communicare
This activity has been developed for nurses interested in learning more about improving data collection in Communicare. This module aims to support you to develop your skills and confidence around data quality.
The resources in this online module are part of the Primary Care Data Quality Education project by CSIRO training program, funded by the Australian Department of Health.
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) resources
The NBCSP website provides a comprehensive range of culturally appropriate educational and promotional materials for health professionals and communities.
- Indigenous bowel screening resources for health professionals to use when offering Aboriginal people bowel screening kits.
- Community education flip chart (PDF) to assist health workers to talk with Aboriginal people about bowel cancer and bowel cancer screening.
- Short guide for providers who can now bulk order and issue kits to eligible patients. The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) website includes culturally appropriate training and contacts for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) seeking to register to distribute kits.
- A kit designed to support community organisations and health workers (PDF) to promote bowel cancer screening to keep mob healthy and strong.
Cancer Institute NSW resources
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Do the test webpage – provides culturally appropriate information for including personal story videos
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Postcards resources – ‘Bowel screening is women’s business’ and ‘Bowel screening is men’s business’.
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Cancer Institute NSW ‘What is cancer screening?’ factsheet and brochure (PDF) for Aboriginal communities explaining bowel, breast and cervical screening.
Other useful resources
- Ngununggula - Walking and Working Together: A manual for health professionals supporting Aboriginal people with Cancer – Developed by The Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service. This project has been a collaboration between the AH&MRC, University of Sydney (Michelle Dickson), UOW, and Menzies SHR and Coordinare PHN, and funded by Cancer Australia. Access the following resources:
- Manual for health professionals supporting Aboriginal people with cancer
- Quality Improvement appendices
- Cancer webinars.
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NACCHO – RACGP Resource Hub – Supporting effective, culturally safe primary healthcare. Practical actions that your team can take to improve care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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Sydney Local Health District Aboriginal Health – a suite of videos for Aboriginal audiences (including how to do the test, how to prepare for a colonoscopy and Aboriginal elders experiences with bowel screening and bowel cancer).
BreastScreen NSW factsheets, posters and brochures developed by and for Aboriginal women
- Factsheet: Breast screening for Aboriginal women
- Poster developed by Aboriginal women to raise awareness of breast cancer and the importance of regular screening
Cancer Institute NSW
- ‘What is cancer screening?’ factsheet and brochure (PDF) for Aboriginal communities explaining bowel, breast and cervical screening.
- Breast Screening QI Module – Primary Care Cancer Control Quality Improvement Toolkit
BreastScreen Australia
- Dawn Ross, an Arrernte woman from Alice Springs, shares her story of participating in the BreastScreen Australia Program.
- Cheryl Flanders shares her story about surviving breast cancer - reast screening saved her life and she encourages other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have the screening mammogram.
Information on BreastScreen NSW's 'PUTUWA' pilot project
Aboriginal women are diagnosed at an earlier age and with more advanced breast cancers. BreastScreen NSW is delivering a pilot project in 2022 to engage Aboriginal women aged 40-49 years in breast screening. Key messages will be updated to general practice to support the implementation of the pilot which will involve active recruitment of Aboriginal women from 40 years.
National Cervical Screening Program
The website includes information specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on:
- The Cervical Screening Test
- Self-collection and the Cervical Screening Test
- How to collect your own Cervical Screening Test sample
- How to take your own Cervical Screening Test sample
- Understanding your Cervical Screening Test results
Cancer Institute NSW
- Cervical screening information for Aboriginal women
- How to Increase Cervical Screening in your Local Area Guide - developed in collaboration with the NSW Aboriginal Cervical Screening Network. An online, practical how-to-guide for the Aboriginal health workforce, enabling teams to implement health promotion activities that encourage more Aboriginal women and people with a cervix to participate in regular cervical screening in NSW.
- 'What is cancer screening?' factsheet and brochure (PDF) for Aboriginal communities explaining bowel, breast and cervical screening.
- Primary Care Cancer Control Quality Improvement Toolkit - Cervical Screening QI Module.
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
- ‘When’s Bub due?' poster (PDF) and video promoting the safety of cervical screening during pregnancy to Aboriginal communities.
Tackling Indigenous Smoking program
The Tackling Indigenous Smoking program aims to improve the health of Aboriginal people by reducing the prevalence of tobacco use through population health promotion activities.
The Australian Government also funds up to two courses of nicotine patches or oral forms of NRT (gum, lozenge) per year on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for people who identify as Aboriginal.
Aboriginal people can access Aboriginal Quitline Advisors who are available to provide support to quit. For more information on the Aboriginal Quitline, download the brochure (PDF).
For more information and resources visit the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Resources Centre.
Cancer Institute NSW
- Aboriginal smoking prevention.
- Smoking Cessation QI Module - Primary Care Cancer Control Quality Improvement Toolkit.
The 715 Aboriginal Health Assessment includes a Substance use section where the GP can add alcohol quantity and frequency information from a patient 12 years and over. See the RACGP site for 715 Health check templates and alcohol specific information.
Consider assessment with the 13-item Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS) (PDF) for alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and mental health and emotional wellbeing risks. Mental health comorbidities are common among Aboriginal people using alcohol at risky hazardous, harmful or dependent levels.
Health professionals must be sensitive and flexible with standard alcohol use assessments. For example, if Aboriginal people share drinks with others, it may be more relevant to ask how much the group had on that occasion. Also, it may be more relevant to ask about the last two occasions specifically or when the last four drinking days were.
Treatment needs to include care for the whole person, in the context of family, community and culture. Guidelines on communicating effectively with Aboriginal people should be utilised such as Talking about alcohol with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Cancer in Australia 2019. Cancer series no.119. Cat. no. CAN 123. Canberra: AIHW.
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018. Cancer in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. Accessed August 2022.