Her coalition of general practitioners and health care workers had a breakfast meeting at Bankstown this morning. Not only is she effectively knitting together a strong coalition of health services she and her committee are effective in informing the community and health care providers about what the future direction is for their local health services.
In fact, if Socrates wants to know what is happening in the Southern Highlands he only has to go to the Bankstown GP Division's website or Twitter to get the good oil! In contrast, the silence from the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice is deafening! Not one word about their plans for the Medicare Local in the local press. Not one public meeting of health care providers reported as being planned by the Division. Obviously the autocratic machine in the Division is working on something but the community and other health providers will be left like mushrooms - in the dark!
Here, in part, is what Dr Susan Harnett was able to say to their large roll-up of interested people.
“This business breakfast was part of our response to recent federal government changes to how family medicine works across Australia,” said Dr. Harnett.
“On February 22 2010, the Prime Minister announced the federal government will form new family health organisations, Medicare Locals, across Australia,” said Dr. Harnett. “Over coming months, these Medicare Locals will make sure community and health organisations work ever more closely with local hospitals and family doctors.”
“When the PM launched Medicare Locals, she described them as an invisible engine, joining up health services. The PM said that our patients may never see or hear the Medicare Local engine working behind the scenes. But if the engine works well, then patients will simply get the best care.”
“Here, in south west Sydney, the Medicare Local will cover a huge area. The Medicare Local will centre on Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool, and take in the urban edge of the Macarthur region. Meanwhile, a separate, semi-autonomous rural health network will extend south of Camden, through Wollondilly, to Bowral in the Southern Highlands,” she said.
“Across this huge Medicare Local, the real challenge for each health and community organisation will be to think through what this means for them locally. While the federal government has described the many benefits of joined up health services, the reality is that our many family doctors, non-government organisations and other health providers need to have a good reason to take time out of their day to meet, and to actively collaborate on improving patient care in their local area,” said Dr. Harnett.
“Even though the Medicare Local hasn’t yet been finalised, we’ve already found that a really broad range of organisations across south west Sydney really want to work more closely with local family doctors, and to work collaboratively towards improving the health of our many diverse communities,” she said.
“Today, through the SWSHC, we’ve brought together many health organisations that have never even spoken with each other before. And in so doing, we’ve also opened up new ways for these organisations to do business locally,” Said Dr. Harnett.
”Joining up local health services just makes business sense. This is the missing ingredient that will really make the South West Sydney Medicare Local work. By building new bridges, we’ll make sure everyone has a real stake in improving the way health works across this part of Sydney,” she said.
“Through this SWSHC breakfast, we’ve taken the first steps to family doctors working in new ways with disability and community organisations, with local pharmacists, physios, with mental health, ageing and other health providers,” said Dr. Susan Harnett.“
“This is our once in a lifetime chance to improve how local health works. This business breakfast was just the the first step to a healthy future for families across south west Sydney.”
Note the words she uses when Dr Harnett describes the scope of their Medicare Local. This is the first confirmation that the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice may be extending its grip into the Wollondilly Shire."Meanwhile, a separate, semi-autonomous rural health network will extend south of Camden, through Wollondilly, to Bowral in the Southern Highlands,” she said.
The use of the word "semi-autonomous" opens up some hope that someone else other than the current CEO and Board of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice will ever be able to demonstrate that it is capable of meeting the requisite strategic objectives as set out by the Australian Government for Medicare Locals.
In the meantime, Bankstown GP Division and its Health Coalition, can we borrow Dr Susan Harnett!? Please!
