Patients pushed aside in latest Federal Government health reform statement
CRANAplus considers his statement fails to reflect the open‐minded nature of the current health‐care debate.
The organisation also believes nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and Indigenous Health Workers are not being treated fairly compared to GPs.
“We are shocked that he has stated that ‘Our primary healthcare approach recognises the fundamental importance of GPs as being the centre of primary care’, said President Christopher Cliffe.
“Primary Health Care is about the consumer. The consumer MUST be the center of primary care, not the GP. But the consumer seems to be the ones who are getting lost in the latest ‘tweaking’ of our health reform.” He continued: “There is no doubt that GP’s play an essential role, but here in remote Australia where a majority of all health care is delivered by Remote Area nurses and Aboriginal Health workers, the traditional GP led Primary Care model just doesn’t fit.
CEO Carole Taylor said the organisation was tired of the medical profession being seen as the only group that contributes to health care in this country.
“This results in arrogant disregard for the tireless efforts of Midwives, Indigenous Health Workers, Allied Health Professionals and Nurses who work collaboratively with their clients, as the ‘Center’ of effective primary healthcare,” she said.
Ms Taylor pointed out that, while more and more additional resources were going into medicine and medical students, with generous incentives offered, the evidence shows that Australia doesn’t have a shortage of doctors – merely a mal‐distribution as people don’t want to leave the big cities.
Ms Taylor expressed her disappointment that other members of the health professions did not get equitable access to similar incentives.
“It would be of more value if the vested interest groups in health spent more time looking at how reforms can provide better health outcomes rather than protecting their own turf,” she said. “Maybe then our system could be consumer focused and the resultant health outcomes improved.”
Contact:
Carole Taylor CEO 0429 649 226
Christopher Cliffe President 0488 513 042