Queensland Institute of Medical Research A Synthesis of the Outcomes of Four National Rural Health Conferences 1991-1997 (Clark and Martini)

Queensland Institute ofMedical Research

A Synthesis of the Outcomes of Four National Rural Health

Conferences 1991-1997

(Clark and Martini)


17 Years!


• Collate the Major themes

• Assess the impact of Conference Recommendations on Government policy

Aim


• All 8 Conferences

• Aboriginal Health Policy (strategic reform)

• Health and Medical Research


• 7 Conferences

• Aged Care


• 6 Conferences

• Workforce: – Education – Recruitment and Retention – Health Services (access and availability)– Health Financing


• 5 Conferences • Workforce:

– Training – Communication Technology – Undergrad / Postgrad – Local Management (community controlled) – Community Participation

• Service Delivery: – Transport


• Healthy Horizons (1999)

• Improve the Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples (4)

• Maintain a skilled and responsive health workforce (3)

• Develop needs-based flexible funding arrangements (3)


• Aboriginal Health– new primary health care services $24m

over 4 yrs

1996-1997 Dept of Health and Family Services


Rural Health

• $20m Undergrad / Postgrad

• $27m over 4 yrs for 6 University Depts of Rural Health (Mt.Isa & Broken Hill)

• $1m locum services for docs (conf also calls for nurses)

• $4m John Flynn scholarship scheme

• $1m nurse practitioners to gain access to training and support


• Health and Medical Research – public health research increased to $3.6

over 3 yrs ($9.9m)

• Aged Care – $60m new and continuing respite care


Aug 96 and May 97 $3b health expend cut but $150m extra on

Rural Health


1997 – 1998 Health and Family Services

• Health W’force crisis identified and acknowledged

• Structural and Strategic Reform - $17.4m over 4 yrs to target major Rural and Remote Health Priority Areas

• (1997 conference – models of service delivery)

• (all conferences focus on research)

• (rec across 5 conferences)


• $5m pilot study on obstetric services in Rural areas

• Continued Support ….

• Health and Medical Research to $156m

• Focus on Collaboration ….


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health – funding for

community controlled services

1997: Health Framework Agreements signed (conf

requested Tasmania and N.T be included)


1998 – 1999 Health and Family Services

• National Injury Prevention framework

• Indigenous Australians: $22.6 over 4 yrs for immunisation and STDs

• $72m over 4 yrs Primary Health Care Services


• $12.4m Public Health Evidence Base

• Health &Medical Research $165m

• $13m extra for Rural Workforce Agencies ($65m over 4 yrs) – Conf 99 requested multi discip RWAs!


1999 – 2000 Health and Aged Care

• retention payments for rural docs • 30 new Rural Health Service Centres (MPS) • upgrade to Bush Crisis Line • training for Remote nurses• Rural Health now $200m budget up from

$70m BUT• AHPs, dental health, pharmacists, health

managers


• Wooldridge Delivers Largest Ever Country Health Budget: $562m in three sections



More Health Professionals (More Doctors Better Services)

MAHS $49.5m (major shift in policy although no direct access to MBS)


• Training and Education $162m

• 9 new clinical schools

• 3 new UDRH (multi discip focus)


• More Health Services $185m – assistance for Pharmacies to start up or

relocate – chronic disease support – aged care – $30m revitalise bush nursing



• Disease Focus (HH)• National Depression Initiative• Practice Nurses • Rural Nursing Scholarships (all welcome in

Press Releases BUT not enough)• $40m improve Indigenous access to PHC

services• Health Dis-connect



• The Continuation Budget

• Savings of $1.9b on PBS

• Aged Care focus


Does funding clinical schools, UDRHs and Regional Health

Services help the desirable move to collaborative Primary Health Care

Teams?



• Focus on Prevention

• Health Funkenected extra $5m


2004 – 2005 Minister Abbott first budget

• Aged Care $6b additional viability for rural homes

• Medical Research $200m over 7 yrs

• NICS $22.7m


• New MBS item for AHP services

• New MBS item for Dentists

• $9.7m for Consumer and Community involvement in influencing health decisions



• Cancer (HH)– Pap smears by practice nurses

• $129m more prac nurses • $20.6 over 3 yrs for Rural and Remote

nurses training support • $17.2 Rural and Remote Health Workers

education and training • $160m Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

health over a range of initiatives



• $905m Medical Research • Programs to align services for

communities less than 7000 pop • 400 new med school places• 1000 nursing places • 840 AHWs training • 25 Puggy Hunter Memorial

Scholarships


THE KEY MESSAGE

Documents

Queensland Institute of Medical Research A Synthesis of the Outcomes of Four National Rural Health Conferences 1991-1997 (Clark and Martini)