Institutional racism within Australian hospitals is a critical public health issue that profoundly impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This racism is not merely a collection of isolated incidents; it’s a systemic problem that affects patients at both an individual and societal level. Experiences of racism and culturally unsafe care creates lack of safety in the system which contributes to poorer health outcomes, lifelong harm, and in some cases, preventable deaths.
While tools exist to assess institutional racism, they are not consistently applied, which limits accountability and progress
This Issues Brief calls for a fundamental change in approach which moves away from fragmented, superficial measures toward a unified, data-driven, and Indigenous-led strategy
2025 Jeff Cheverton Memorial Scholar Dr Elissa Elvidge is supported by Brisbane North and North Western Melbourne PHNs.