What is Primary Health Care?

Primary health care has two meanings. The narrow definition (sometimes called 'primary medical care') focuses on the provision of medical services treating individual, generally acute medical conditions. It forms only a part of comprehensive primary health care which is the broader, holistic approach to health problems. As well as primary medical care, comprehensive primary health care addresses a range of health concerns that have no specific medical intervention.

In 2000, the Northern Territory Health Forum partners endorsed a definition of a well resourced Aboriginal comprehensive primary health care service. View print friendly document 'Aboriginal Primary Health Care core functions'

The NT Aboriginal Health Forum endorsed definition reads:

'Aboriginal primary health care services' refers to all services delivering health care in accordance with the holistic definition of health and includes the following core services: