With increasing pressure on rural and regional health services, Murray PHN has released a detailed report on 24 November 2022, that looks at Primary Healthcare Workforce.
Recent royal commissions and government inquiries have shown that Australia is facing issues with out-of-pocket costs, availability and equitable access to person-centred, integrated care, in particular in rural and remote areas, for First Nations communities and other cultural groups, and access for the ageing population and those with chronic and complex conditions.
According to Murray PHN’s Director of Strategy and Evaluation, Dr Belinda O’Sullivan, it is increasingly unlikely that we can continue to provide care by working within existing structures and silos. To improve the provision of primary healthcare across our diverse communities, flexible, innovative and place-based solutions must be funded appropriately.
The new Report discusses primary care in Australia, the makeup of primary healthcare teams, and alternate workforce models, challenges and local initiatives. Special thanks go to Beechworth GP Julia Bridge, Donna Doyle CEO of Boort District Health and Simone O'Brien a Nurse Practitioner in Bendigo and Heathcote, who have all provided insight into their professions.
To read and share the Report, click here.
