The AGPN is urging the Federal government to fast-track its plans for Medicare Locals after the first round was inundated with applications.
AGPN Chair Dr Emil Djakic is calling for more than the planned 15 Medicare Locals to be implemented in July after 58 bids were submitted from across the Divisions of General Practice.
Dr Djakic said that the high response rate proved the network was “willing to transform primary health care services”, although five Medicare Local areas did not attract any applications.
“The AGPN is urging the Federal government to support the commencement of as many as possible in this first round if more than 15 applications meet the eligibility requirements,” he said.
“The sooner these organisations can be established in communities across the country, the sooner the benefits to the local health system will flow to those communities.”
As reported in 6minutes, the application process has triggered disputes among some of the divisions who have been unhappy with the government’s planned boundaries for the Medicare Locals.
An independent mediator had to be called in to help resolve a row between the Sydney consortiums - the South West Health Coalition (SWSHC) and the Macarthur and Southern Highlands Divisions - who both submitted bids for a Medicare Local in the south west."
Socrates wishes good luck to the SWS Health Coalition in achieving the outcome they seek. Their preparation and community consultation places them poles apart from the secretive "Boards only" process adopted by their competitors. I hope that if the SWS Health Coalition is the successful applicant for the SWS Medicare Local, they will aim to expand their network to include the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee LGAs.
If the SWS Health Coalition can't extend their reach to the Southern Highlands area then perhaps they can give some good advice to the Macarthur and Southern Highlands Division about how they can improve their game. That is, of course, if those Divisions of General Practice retain their current funding. After all, the Medicare Locals are meant to replace the Divisions, are they not? And in the context of the proposed Budget constraints and cuts, perhaps a cut to the funding for Divisions of General Practice would be helpful.
