The Mid Term Review of the National Health Reform Agreement (NRHA) released this week is welcomed by ACRRM for its emphasis on strengthening funding for remote and rural health services including promoting primary care, Rural Generalist training, and Single Employer Models for remote and rural communities.
The NRHA between the Commonwealth and jurisdictional governments, describes how the Commonwealth, States and Territories fund public hospitals and seeks to facilitate broader collaboration toward a better health system.
The Mid-Term Review led by Prof Rosemary Husxtable received a submission from ACRRM and conducted interviews with the College leadership and policy staff and the College was pleased to see many ACRRM perspectives reflected in the final report.
• The Report calls for a more coordinated national approach to addressing the health disparities in remote and rural communities, emphasizing the need for the rural generalist approach of rural doctors and health professionals working to their fullest scope of practice, providing integrated and cross sector care. It calls for a shared plan of action to address these disparities.
• It recommends greater transparency of the funding directed to rural training. It identifies that rurally based training is often underfunded relative to training in major centers. It notes the need for Rural Generalist training to be adequately supported and receive parity of funding with that for other specialist trainees.
• It calls for review of Section 19(2) exemptions processes with a view to simplifying and expanding opportunities for Single Employer Model type arrangements which may provide a mechanism to provide primary care in remote areas where alternative arrangements are unsustainable.
The report also had important recommendations with respect to collaborative approaches to proactively identifying and addressing gaps in primary care services, to promoting digital health services as key enablers, and to a shared commitment to action targets related to Closing the Gap.
For further information on these issues, please contact the policy team at policy@acrrm.org.au.
The NRHA between the Commonwealth and jurisdictional governments, describes how the Commonwealth, States and Territories fund public hospitals and seeks to facilitate broader collaboration toward a better health system.
The Mid-Term Review led by Prof Rosemary Husxtable received a submission from ACRRM and conducted interviews with the College leadership and policy staff and the College was pleased to see many ACRRM perspectives reflected in the final report.
• The Report calls for a more coordinated national approach to addressing the health disparities in remote and rural communities, emphasizing the need for the rural generalist approach of rural doctors and health professionals working to their fullest scope of practice, providing integrated and cross sector care. It calls for a shared plan of action to address these disparities.
• It recommends greater transparency of the funding directed to rural training. It identifies that rurally based training is often underfunded relative to training in major centers. It notes the need for Rural Generalist training to be adequately supported and receive parity of funding with that for other specialist trainees.
• It calls for review of Section 19(2) exemptions processes with a view to simplifying and expanding opportunities for Single Employer Model type arrangements which may provide a mechanism to provide primary care in remote areas where alternative arrangements are unsustainable.
The report also had important recommendations with respect to collaborative approaches to proactively identifying and addressing gaps in primary care services, to promoting digital health services as key enablers, and to a shared commitment to action targets related to Closing the Gap.
For further information on these issues, please contact the policy team at policy@acrrm.org.au.