QLD’s offloading its primary health care to where it belongs – at the Commonwealth level
AML Alliance Chair, Dr Arn Sprogis has welcomed a clear signal by the Queensland Government that it’s ready to off load parts of its primary health care programs to have them delivered according to the National Health Reforms, through Medicare Locals.
“In a statement issued earlier today, Queensland’s Minister for Health, Lawrence Springborg has effectively upped the ante by stepping away from funding a selection of non-government and state-funded primary health care programs clearly signaling its days of state-funded primary health care are coming to an end,” Dr Sprogis said.
“Medicare Locals are best placed to deliver primary health care throughout the nation in which funding and program delivery is devolved from the Commonwealth to the local level without any baulking at the state level.
“If this is a sign of things to come from other state governments then funding decisions for primary health care will have to accelerate significantly in order to ensure Australians get access to the local health services they need that are funded by the Commonwealth.
“Queensland, it should be noted, was one of the states determined to dilute the original primary health care reforms through COAG with an agenda to keep some primary health care programs at the state level.
“However, the Newman Government should now be acknowledged for ‘signing up’ to the original concept and funding model, through its actions,” Dr Sprogis said.
