Gold Coast Primary Health Network’s (GCPHN’s) First Nations Health Equity Strategy sets out how we will work – alongside First Nations people and key partners – to support equitable access to high-quality primary health care and improved health and wellbeing for First Nations peoples across our region.

This Strategy has been developed based on Gold Coast Health’s First Nations Health Equity Strategy (2025–2028) and the South-East Queensland First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2021–31 led by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH). By adopting the same six key result and priority areas, we can strengthen collaboration, align activity across the system, and support more transparent reporting and accountability at a local Gold Coast level.

Our priority areas

Our Strategy is organised under six key result and priority areas:

1. Cultural safety. First Nations clients, carers and workforce feel culturally safe, respected, and free from racism.
2. Access. Increase access to healthcare services.
3. Determinants. Influence the social, cultural and economic determinants of health.
4. Service and data enhancement. Deliver sustainable, culturally safe and responsive healthcare services, supported by stronger measurement and reporting.
5. Service delivery and partnerships. Work with First Nations people, communities and organisations to design, deliver, monitor and review health services.
6. Strong and capable workforce. Strengthen the First Nations workforce.

Key actions we will progress

Across these priority areas, the Strategy identifies practical actions that will be implemented across GCPHN and with partners.

Examples include establishing robust governance, co-designing a workplan with partners, developing an annual calendar of initiatives, strengthening culturally safe commissioning approaches, and improving measurement and reporting to support accountability.

Reporting, measurement and continuous improvement

The Strategy will be reviewed every three years and refined to reflect emerging policies, priorities and opportunities, ensuring First Nations feedback and local needs are integrated over time. Performance will be monitored, with progress against indicators reported annually.

Year 1 focuses on establishing benchmark data to inform performance and outcomes for subsequent years.

How this connects with our Reconciliation Action Plan

Development of the Strategy occurred alongside GCPHN’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2025–2027, endorsed by Reconciliation Australia and launched in early 2026, with alignment across relationships, respect, opportunities and governance.

Management also proposed consultation with the RAP Committee on how RAP activities and measures can be embedded into Strategy reporting (rather than running parallel processes).

Read, share, and connect

Download: First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2025–2028
Contact: ceo@gcphn.com.au
Related: Reconciliation Action Plan