Integrated, high-quality and comprehensive cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involves support for self-determination and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be active partners in their cancer care. A range of systemic barriers exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including racism and discrimination, impacts of generational trauma and limited access to culturally responsive, trauma-aware, healing-informed services.

It is critical that cancer services consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s unique experiences, cultural beliefs, and traditions, tailoring care and support accordingly. Connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector is essential to improve engagement and access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers including their carers and families.

The development of approaches to improve access to accepted, traditional healing practitioners within cancer services will help to integrate holistic approaches into cancer care, and address the spiritual, cultural, emotional, and social needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This 5-year action sets out an approach to ensuring the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice and culture is embedded into the cancer care continuum through the implementation of an integrated, Indigenous-led, trauma-aware, healing-informed approach. This may include:

• approaches which include traditional healing practitioners in multidisciplinary cancer care teams for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer
• traditional healing practitioners in cancer services practices that are located close to Country and/or in areas with greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation
• service provider partnerships with traditional healing services to incorporate and complement traditional and modern practices to enable holistic care.

In addition to traditional healing practices, other cultural practices and therapies could also be considered in models of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, such as yarning circles, narrative therapy and peer support groups.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership of the design and implementation is critical to its success. This action builds upon the strengths of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and traditional healing practitioners to increase health literacy and improve cancer care outcomes.

This action should build on and align to:

• existing traditional health models, such as the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Model of Care and South Australian Aboriginal Cancer Healing Model[128]
• The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2021–2031[133]
• National Agreement on Closing the Gap[8] in working towards achieving the Closing the Gap targets.