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Doctors concerned over Victorian Medicare Locals announcement
17 June 2011
Doctors today expressed concern for Victorian patients following the announcement of Victoria’s first four Medicare Locals.
“Despite doctors calling for the deferral of Medicare Locals until further consultation has taken place the Government is pushing ahead with this expensive health reform experiment, said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley.
Dr Hemley’s comments followed the Commonwealth’s announcement today of the first four Victorian Medicare Locals. The four Medicare Locals will serve the Inner East Melbourne, Inner North West Melbourne, Northern Melbourne and Barwon regions.
“These four Medicare Locals are meant to commence operation in 10 business days but their boundaries were only announced today,” said Dr Hemley. “How are they meant to coordinate patient care when they only just found out which patients they would be responsible for?”
“The Commonwealth has yet to release key performance indicators for Medicare Locals despite launching in two weeks time. It is still unclear what Medicare Locals will have to do for their $477 million in funding.
“Primary health care reform should be based on providing care as close to the patient as possible. General practices are best placed to do this – not remote health bureaucracies.
“What patients require is not the coordination of care providers; patients require the coordination of their care.
“A bureaucrat hundreds of kilometres away cannot help patients navigate today’s complex health system. Patients require someone who knows their doctor, their area and, most importantly, the patients themselves,” Dr Hemley said.
AMA Victoria calls on all State and Federal Victorian Members of Parliament to defer the further implementation of Medicare Locals until genuine consultation and evaluation has taken place.
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