Melbourne Hospital's Indigenous Priority Policy Faces Backlash and Support
Leading medical professionals have mounted a robust defence against growing criticism of a Melbourne hospital's policy that gives priority to Indigenous patients in its emergency department. St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne has maintained its controversial approach for the past 19 months, automatically assigning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients a minimum category three triage status, requiring they be seen within 30 minutes.
Medical Bodies Unite Against 'Divisive and Racist' Comments
The policy, designed to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, has drawn both support and condemnation. Critics including columnists Andrew Bolt and Rita Panahi have described the measure as 'apartheid', while Indigenous activist and Voice campaigner Warren Mundine expressed his opposition, stating: 'We aren't asking for that, we're asking to be treated like everyone else.'
This criticism prompted three major medical organisations – the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians – to issue a joint statement condemning what they termed 'divisive and racist' remarks. The medical bodies characterised the backlash as 'opportunistic, uninformed and deeply concerning'.
Addressing Documented Health Disparities
Dr Olivia O'Donoghue, acting president of the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, explained that the policy represents 'Closing the Gap in action', responding to well-established disparities in health outcomes and access to timely care experienced by First Nations peoples. She emphasised that contrary views undermine efforts to create a culturally safe hospital system ensuring equitable healthcare access.
Emergency specialist Dr Glenn Harrison from ACEM described the triage initiative as 'a practical, evidence-based measure that helps close the gap in access without disadvantaging anyone else'. He characterised the approach as a step toward a more just, equitable and culturally safe health system.
The hospital data reveals the policy's impact: previously, Indigenous patients were three times more likely to leave the emergency department without being seen and waited on average three times longer than other patients. The Australian Human Rights Commission has identified racism in healthcare as a significant contributor to poor health outcomes among Indigenous communities.
Hospital Defends Policy Effectiveness
St Vincent's Hospital chief executive Nicole Tweddle strongly defended the policy, insisting it has had no impact on overall emergency department flow. She clarified that patients presenting with serious or life-threatening emergencies – regardless of background – will always receive priority treatment, in line with standard triage protocols.
'We're not ignoring medical urgency,' Tweddle stated. 'We're simply addressing the factors that were causing First Nations patients to be waiting three times longer than everyone else in our ED.' She reported positive outcomes including fewer patients in inappropriate hospital beds, fewer treatment restarts, and reduced instances of patients returning in worsened condition.
The controversy has drawn political support, with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen endorsing the policy principle of 'treating the sickest patients quickest'. She emphasised that better health outcomes for everyone contribute to building stronger, healthier communities.
The medical organisations continue to stand by the hospital, noting that the policy has successfully closed the gap in emergency department wait times between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients at St Vincent's.
