RDA airs fears over time line for Primary Health Networks The Rural Doctors Association (RDA) says it is worried about the time frames imposed for the creation of new health networks across Victoria. The Federal Government has announced the boundaries for six Primary Health Networks, replacing the states 17 Medicare Locals. Tenders for the system will be submitted early next year and the new organisations have to be operational by July. The RDAs chief executive, Jenny Johnson, said she was concerned by the speed of the transition. We do have concerns about the tight time lines, particularly given the fact that this is quite a new concept in that a wide range of organisations can apply to administer these Primary Health Networks, so it is a very new system and things really need to be addressed as a matter of urgency, she said. However, the federal Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, said the time given to set up the new networks was fair. I think if Medicare Local is going to be an administrative body they should be well placed and well skilled to then become a Primary Health Network and they should be able to embrace the change and embrace the rapidness of change, he said. Itll require some work but thats what theyre there to do and I think theyre already starting to get their head around it. Meanwhile, the Loddon Mallee Murray Medicare Local expects new boundaries for the National Primary Health Network to improve community access. Mildura, Swan Hill and Bendigo fall into the Murray region which extends from the states north-west to as far as north-east Victoria. Chief executive Matt Jones said there still needed to be a sub-regional approach to improve capacity at a local level. Itll also have a very strong focus on improving some of the efficiencies and reducing some of the fragmentation and also looking to increase access to health services, so I think its a very positive development, he said. abc.net.au/news/2014-10-17/rda-airs-fears-over-time-line-for-primary-health/5820966?§ion=news
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 01:03:30 +0000
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