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Albury Wodonga health service amalgamation welcomed
19 December 2008
AMA Victoria has welcomed the Victorian and New South Wales governments’ announcement today to set up a single health service for the Albury Wodonga community in July 2009.
AMA Victoria President Dr Doug Travis said patients, doctors and other health care workers would benefit from the amalgamation, which comes after several years of AMA lobbying.
“After years of promises from the Victorian and New South Wales governments we’re pleased to finally see the announcement of an Albury Wodonga health service amalgamation,” he said.
“We congratulate Minister Andrews for being able to achieve what many before him had failed to do and steer through the difficulties of interstate politics.
“An integrated border health service will increase access to health care for the local community by reducing loopholes and bureaucracies.
“It will also increase efficiencies for local doctors and other health care professionals because they will be working in a single system.”
Dr Travis said the existing structure of two separate health systems in Albury Wodonga imposed barriers on doctors and restricted access to patient care.
“All Australians deserve the very best public health care; geography should not determine the level of care a patient receives,” he said.
Dr Travis noted the complexities the Victorian and New South Wales governments worked through in securing the merger.
“Our health systems run very differently, with variations in funding arrangements, models of care, hospital cultures and employment conditions. It’s been a long and difficult process for the Victorian and New South Wales governments but it’s great to see that patients will start to benefit from the amalgamation in July next year.”
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