February 16, 2009
The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission will release a 400-page interim report today containing proposals for a shake-up in health which will be refined in its final report to the Government in the middle of the year.
Media reports say that the Reform Commission is calling for a radical revamp of Australia's public health services and a bigger federal role in community-based health care, dental services and aged care. It proposes the establishment of "comprehensive primary health care centres" - a larger-scale version of the Government's plans for 31 GP super clinics - to provide one-stop-shops for care by GPs, nurses, diagnostic services, family and child health and other professionals such as physiotherapists, psychologists and podiatrists.
The emphasis is on more intergrated and comprehensive care within a coherent national policy with identified goals and strategies supported by adequate funding. No doubt this will be opposed by the AMA, who have opposed the first steps in this direction with the formation of the GP Plus centres.
|
The Americans have long been waiting of an integrated health care program and the federal government cannot simply take away the light that people are now beginning to behold. This action has become more important than ever before given the sad fact that more and more people are losing jobs and losing the ability to buy themselves private health insurance. The health of many will depend on this.