What will our future Primary Health Networks look like? By the time you read this edition of Health Voices, the outcomes of the PHN tender process will be in the public domain, signalling the beginning of what may well be a significant change in the nature of regional primary health organisations: a role currently filled by Medicare Locals (MLs).
A change of government inevitably results in significant reforms to key health policies and as GPs we need to help our patients benefit from new frameworks, while also ensuring governments are held to account to deliver what was promised.
This narrative was produced in the UK by a grouping of 130 health and social care charities and was commissioned by NHS England. It represents an overarching patient centred perspective of what is expected of the health service.
Australian health care consumers might be expected to gain considerable benefit from an effective population health planning entity, one that is capable of developing and strengthening the availability, integration and coordination of primary care.
Governments can be reluctant to adopt policies to prevent cancer, even when there is clear evidence for action. Reasons for this include lobbying by industries profiting from products such as tobacco, alcohol, junk food, and the absence of an active constituency for prevention.
As the time approaches for the establishment of Primary Health Networks, we have a new opportunity to reflect on how they might best achieve their key objectives: increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, in particular those at risk of poor health outcomes; and improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
There are two key documents which have shaped the design and implementation of the new Primary Health Networks (PHNs) - the Horvath report and the documents associated with the Invitation to Apply (ITA ) for funding as a PHN.
Improvements in health have come some way since John Snow and the Reverend Henry Whitehead identified that preventing cholera by identifying the source in the London water supply was much more effective than constantly treating new cases. Over a hundred and fifty years ago - and prevention rather than cure has not yet been fully embraced.
I have been a consumer of health care services for all of my almost 64 years, have been very involved in caring for a family, and have worked in the health care sector in various acute clinical and community areas since 1974, in metropolitan, regional and remote settings.
As a GP I find that your agenda as a doctor may not always match your patientu0027s agenda, and this can have important health implications. Similarly it can be a challenge to balance preventive activities with the need to deal with the patientu0027s main problem/concern.
Life wasnu0027t meant to be easy as a Health Minister in Australia, whether at the state or federal level. The demands are constant and ever more expensive, and it is easy for the heart-rending exception to create a new very costly budget line. However, because as governments and as individuals we have a finite amount to spend we are rationing our resources whether we like it or not. And Iu0027m sure we could get a lot better health results if we allocated our resources more efficiently.
Chronic disease is a significant burden on health systems and underlines the importance of preventive health measures. As a private health insurer, HCF recognises its responsibility to help keep members healthy but the road to better prevention and chronic disease management is long and needs a fundamental shift in approach.
The ageing population and increasing burden of chronic diseases demands a greater role for pharmacists in preventive health. Preventive health is important across all ages - when planning pregnancy, in children, teenagers and young adults, through to older people. Community pharmacists are the most accessible health professionals in the community, and can provide consultation and advice without an appointment. This may be especially relevant among younger adults, who are less likely to access routine care with a general practitioner.
Lifestyle related diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are serious illnesses that undermine health, shorten life expectancy, and contribute to a large proportion of Australian deaths, disability, and economic costs.
Reducing the burden of chronic disease is an Australian health priority, but the nationu0027s policy approach is lame and ineffective.
Australiau0027s obesity rates are climbing and the frightening statistic is that rates in women are rising at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world. Diet and overweight and obesity are the leading risk factors for poor health in Australia, leading to a range of preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
From a consumer's perspective, the replacement of Medicare Locals with the Primary Health Networks has drawn little enthusiasm. Perhaps this is because the consumer movement and the community have not generally understood their role.
Primary Health Networks are a creation of the Abbott government. Their Policy to Support Australia's Health System established a review of Medicare Locals, which had been created under the previous Labor government. Medicare Locals had initially struggled to prove themselves as the hub of local health care, in part because of the confusing health policies of the Rudd-Gillard administration and in part because they were never properly funded and supported to provide the services needed in the community.
