Following an evaluation in 1994, it became generally acknowledged that the recommendations of the NAHS had not been implemented, possibly in part because of a lack of goodwill, but more importantly because responsibility for implementation of the Strategy has been shifted more and more onto ATSIC (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission), a government agency that does not have sufficient influence over key government departments to ensure the required infrastructure developments. The strategy was underfunded, ATSIC lacked the political support to have the strategy implemented, and there was a lack of accountability to ensure implementation by responsible agencies. (Anderson 1997)

It should be noted, however, that responsibility for Indigenous health was shifted from ATSIC to the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care in 1995.