This month up to one thousand doctors that include paediatricians, surgeons, ophthalmologists, nephrologists, psychiatrists, obstetricians and general practitioners, who have experience working with Indigenous people and communities, came together in a united front to back a Yes vote to the Voice to Parliament.

Dr Adam Steinberg, a nephrologist who specialises in treating kidney disease, and a handful of his colleagues established a Doctors for Yes group which rapidly grew to gain 1000 members in a short period of time.

Members of 'Doctors for Yes' believe that the Yes vote is the best chance of improving Indigenous health outcomes.

"Many of us have worked in remote Indigenous communities for years, we've treated these terrible health problems and we know they are so intractable. It's a no-brainer for anyone who is serious about tackling them to vote Yes in the referendum," Dr Steinberg said.

"A few of us set up this group because we want to highlight what a valuable chance this referendum is to do something simple and practical that we know will actually make a real, long term improvement to Indigenous health.

"The alternative is to do nothing, to keep doing what we've been doing for years, and that's simply not acceptable because we know it is not working.

"Across the country doctors seem to agree with us - we've been heartened by the flood of support from colleagues everywhere wanting to add their names to the list."

Dr Catherine Pendrey, a GP who worked for over five years in remote communities across the Northern Territory, said a Voice to Parliament would create a structured way of listening to Indigenous communities about their problems which was fundamental to improving health.

"When you listen to Indigenous voices, hear their perspectives on what their problems are, then you can design policies that respond to their needs and improve health standards," she said.

"We'll only make progress when Indigenous people and medical professionals work together and the best way to do that is to give them a Voice where they take responsibility for change in their own communities."

Dr Tracy Westerman, a prominent Aboriginal psychologist, academic and loud advocate for mental health and well-being of First Nations people, recently revealed her Yes vote on social media.

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A post shared by Dr Tracy Westerman AM (@drtracywesterman)

Concerned with the nation voting No and biased ill-informed news reporting, on 'X' (formerly twitter) she said: "Must be nice to be "entertained" by the idea Aust looks like rejecting a simple request for Aboriginal ppl; our most vulnerable Austs to have a voice to parliament. To have some tiny agency over decisions made about us. This has revealed us as a country & the Natalie Barr's of this world are still making decisions for us. Completely unaffected by the pain this has caused."

Well said.

Must be nice to be "entertained" by the idea Aust looks like rejecting a simple request for Aboriginal ppl; our most vulnerable Austs to have a voice to parliament. To have some tiny agency over decisions made about us.

This has revealed us as a country & the Natalie… https://t.co/qq9WgyLUev

— Dr Tracy Westerman AM (@TracyWesterman) October 10, 2023

A number of Aboriginal community-led health organisations such as Purple House, based in Alice Springs, also pledged support of a Yes vote, with Chief Executive Officer Sarah Brown saying: "Purple House is an example of how Aboriginal people and communities can come up with creative and innovative solutions to issues."

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) chief executive Pat Turner said: "A Voice and recognition of Indigenous Australians is critical if there is going to be long term sustainable improvements to health outcomes for our peoples. Currently programs and policies are at the whim of whoever the Minister is and the senior executives of Government Departments."

Australia's peak medical body the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has a history of strong advocacy in support of policies aiming to deliver better health outcomes for all Australians, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, they stated "to address the significant gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We know that this requires a multi-faceted approach, including addressing the determinants of health".

"The AMA supports formal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution and the establishment of the Voice to Parliament," the group said in a statement.

"The AMA encourages all Australians to inform themselves and consider the possible health and wellbeing benefits that the Voice to Parliament could have for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists have also supported the Yes Vote, releasing a statement that included a quote from Professor Helen Milroy OAM, Australia's first Indigenous doctor, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UWA Honorary Research Fellow at Telethon Kids Institute and a Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.

"The wounds and the trauma of generations of inequality, discrimination and racism run deep. To heal, we must be heard," Professor Milroy said.

"A First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Constitution is a critical and powerful step forward for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We must take a step forward as a nation."

Lowitja Institute, Australia's only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health research institute, also support the Yes vote, with Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Professor Janine Mohamed stating: "The establishment of a Voice to Parliament would provide a strong foundation for the urgent work to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."