MEDIA RELEASE - New Primary Health Care Organisations
New primary health care organisations – better healthcare for Australia
Local residents will receive a wider range of services from, and better access to their general practice with the Prime Minister's announcement today of primary health care organisations, says Eastern Ranges GP Association's CEO, Ms Kristin Michaels.
Primary Health Care Organisations will reduce fragmented care by building relationships across the health professions, assisting patients to negotiate a complex health system to improve access and by identifying health needs in their communities and finding or facilitating relevant local solutions.
"These organisations will make health care a local issue and find local solutions. This is about local people having an organisation that is set up to serve the patients needs and support general practice to deliver the best quality care possible," said Ms Michaels.
She also said that patients living with complex medical needs like diabetes and heart disease will be able to manoeuvre through the system easier when they are sick; helping them and general practice.
"These illnesses come with a large administration burden which should not fall to our already overstretched General Practitioners. Primary Health Care Organisations will help ease this burden and ensure that the community can access the additional services it needs, when it needs them," said Ms Michaels.
As part of the Prime Minister's announcement the existing national general practice network, of which Eastern Ranges GP Association is a member, will become Primary Health Care Organisations with the first to be operating by the middle of 2011.
"It is logical and appropriate for government to build on years of investment, intellectual capital and well established relationships with general practice and allied health and to create these organisations from what already exists. We can and will deliver these organisations and the follow on health benefits for the whole community," she said.
Ms Michaels applauded the government's move to put primary health care at the centre of the health system and indicated that through these changes hospitalisation rates will reduce.
"Local and international evidence tells us primary health care - general practice care - is the most cost-effective model for delivering the best health to the community.
"We know that we have avoidable hospitalisations in our community and primary health care organisations will contribute to significantly reduce these as people would have already accessed the health care they need out of hospital," she said.
CONTACT: Kristin Michaels, CEO, Ph: 9871 1000
ISSUED: 12 April 2010