Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, has welcomed the inclusion of Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury GPs in a Health Care Homes trial.
“This is a concept that Labor has previously backed, and in fact we committed $100 million during the election to develop and roll out new models of primary care, including this one of patient-centered care co-ordinated by local GPs for chronic illnesses,” Ms Templeman said.
“If anyone can make it work it is our GPs, but we fear that without the appropriate investment, doctors in the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains are being set up for failure.
“You can’t hope to ‘revolutionise’ patient care while investing no new money and cutting billions from GPs with the Liberals’ six year freeze on Medicare rebates,” Ms Templeman said.
Australian Medical Association President, Michael Gannon, said: “The reality is that GPs cannot afford to deliver enhanced care to patients with no extra support. There is no new funding for the Health Care Homes trial… If the Health Care Homes funding model is not right, GPs will not engage with the trial and the model will struggle to succeed.”
And the CEO of the Australian healthcare and Hospitals Association, Alison Verhoeve, said: “the stated objectives cannot be achieved with inadequate funding and the investment proposed for this trial looks set to fall substantially short of requirements.”
Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network (NBMPHN) is one of 10 networks across Australia chosen to establish Health Care Homes in general practice.
A Health Care Home is a general practice chosen by a patient to be their medical ‘home-base’. The practice is responsible for their ongoing, comprehensive, holistic medical care.
NBMPHN CEO, Lizz Reay, welcomed the Health Care Home trial announcement.
“The health system we have today was designed to effectively address one-off health problems but today’s GP faces increasing numbers of people with multiple conditions that need to be actively and continually managed in order to keep well and avoid unnecessary hospital visits,” said Ms Reay.
“This trial aims to reform the current system to better support GPs to be more proactive in caring for people with chronic diseases.”
The Health Care Home trial, which will begin in July next year, was a key recommendation from the clinician-led Primary Health Care Advisory Group.