MEDIA RELEASE - Budget will deliver health care future
Patients will be the big winners from the Federal Budget commitments to fund more Practice Nurses, put money into eHealth and invest in better access to after hours care, says Eastern Ranges GP Association CEO Ms Kristin Michaels.
"This is the Budget primary health care has been waiting for," Ms Michaels Said.
"The government has been talking about health care reform, but their focus, until this point, has been on hospital care. The real reform needs to happen here, in general practices, that's where patients will see tangible benefits to their health, it's here that investment is needed," she said.
The Budget has committed an additional $390 million over four years to increase the number of Practice Nurses, $466 million over two years to improve eHealth and $126 million to after hours care.
The after hours payments will run through the primary health care organisations (PHCOs) announced by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd last month. PHCOs will evolve from general practice networks like Eastern Ranges GP Association, which already operates two after hours services in the Shire of Yarra Ranges located Yarra Junction and Healesville.
"The PHCOs will have flexible funding to provide support for General Practitioners, but also to deliver services to patients. One way we might deliver after hours care is through a roster system of our GPs - which means patients can access care, but the burden is shared among practices," she said.
As part of the eHealth investment the local network might access an eHealth Support Officer to help GPs transition to new eHealth arrangements - like electronic health records or discharge summaries.
"Almost 100 percent of GPs across Australia have a computer on their desktop, but not all use them to their full capacity. EHealth officers, who know general practice and know the capabilities of the systems in place will be a useful tool in upskilling GPs and upskilling our systems,"Ms Michaels Said.
The Practice Nurse payment of $25,000 per GP - rising to a maximum of $32,500 in remote areas - was particularly relevant in being announced the day before International Nurses Day.
"This payment recognises the great value Practice Nurses bring to patients and to GPs. The additional funding will improve access to care for patients and alleviate the workforce burden on our GPs," s/he said.
CONTACT: Kristin Michaels, CEO, Ph: 9871 1000
ISSUED: 12 May 2010