MPHN welcomes federal Budget announcements for primary healthcare
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) has welcomed the Federal Budget announcements to strengthen the primary health care system and increasing access to multidisciplinary coordinated care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.
MPHN CEO Melissa Neal said MPHN, like all PHNs nationally, is well placed to continue their work with primary healthcare providers and the community to implement many of the new measures across the Murrumbidgee.
“The work we have been engaged with over the years places us in a very good position to continue to support primary healthcare providers and system integration with the aim to improve health outcomes for the region’s most vulnerable groups,” Ms Neal said.
“We understand the pressures across the primary care system and want to acknowledge the great work our primary healthcare providers have been doing and continue to do despite these challenges.
“The measures announced last night indicate a strong commitment to implement the various recommendations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report, and MPHN will continue to work with our communities and our providers to ensure we have a primary care system across our region which is person-centred, integrated, connected, and available for those who need it most.”
In particular, MPHN will have a role in working with general practice and other stakeholders to implement:
$143.9 million nationally for after hours primary care. This will enable MPHN to continue to fund critical after hours services in the region for another two years, and look at options for increasing access to primary care for people affected by homelessness and for culturally and linguistically diverse Australians.
$79.4 million nationally over four years from 2023–24 to support PHNs to commission allied health services to improve access to multidisciplinary care for people with chronic conditions in underserviced communities.
$19.7 million nationally over four years from 2023–24 (and $3.2 million per year ongoing) to implement MyMedicare to formalise the relationship between patients and their primary care providers to improve patient care and health outcomes.
$757.4 million nationally over two years from 2022–23 to ensure access to a range of vaccine administration channels, including community pharmacies, PHNs and the Vaccine Administration Partnership Program.
“While MPHN will have a direct role in supporting these initiatives, we are still working through the details of all the primary health announcements and the role of MPHN in implementing these initiatives,” Ms Neal said.
General Practitioner and firsthealth Chair Dr Jodi Culbert said GPs will generally welcome the announcements of Medicare improvements and funding to support multidisciplinary team-based care.
“Both as a GP and in my leadership role as Chair overseeing the work of MPHN, I am pleased to see funding towards improving Medicare rebates available for patients who are needing longer consultations with their GPs, as well as funding support to encourage bulk billing for Commonwealth concession card holders and children under 16 years of age who are some of our most vulnerable. It’s also pleasing to see rebates return for patients who need to rely on longer telehealth consultations and embedding this as permanent part of primary healthcare. MPHN will work with the 89 general practices in the region to see how these changes will improve access to GPs across our communities,” Dr Culbert said.
“Equally important for GPs and patients are initiatives to improve continuity of care and better integration between the various primary healthcare disciplines. This is particularly important for people living with chronic diseases who require multiple services to provide a wholistic approach to care.
“Across our region we have the highest rates of hospitalisations for people living with a chronic disease, including COPD, chronic heart failure and diabetes. The announcement of My Medicare voluntary patient enrolment along with flexible funding models to support multidisciplinary team-based care, we hope, will help to better support the primary healthcare workforce and patients by better linking them with their GP and care providers, reducing hospital admissions and improve health outcomes,” she said.