Federal health reforms not enough for regional Australia

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) health researcher does not believe the latest round of health reforms in Canberra will address the difference in health services available to rural and metropolitan residents.

“The current focus on hospital services will not necessarily improve the health of rural people. Improving acute care in major hospitals by reducing hospital waiting lists for elective surgery and waiting times in emergency rooms is great for our regional cities,” said Associate Professor Sue McAlpin, the Associate Head of the University’s School of Dentistry and Health Sciences.

“But rural people need much improved access to primary health services, GPs and allied health services, as well as better coordination between aged care and community based services.”

As part of her recently completed PhD, Professor McAlpin investigated the so-called ‘decade of chaos’ that plagued rural health services in NSW during the 1990s.

“Rural people currently have fewer health services available to them and poorer health status, while Indigenous people have a life expectancy 17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians.

“The reforms will address the former blame game of different levels of government, local, State and Federal. In the past, the Federal government funded medical and aged care services and the States funded hospitals.

“Under the proposed ‘one funding’ arrangements, we should see more coordinated care across the health system if primary, mental and aged care services are integrated appropriately through local health networks. There also needs to be a focus and adequate funding of preventative health services to address the risk factors for preventing diseases, rather than just maintaining an ‘ill health‘ system.”

Professor McAlpin said the success of the reforms in improving the health of rural and remote residents will depend upon the availability of an accessible health workforce in rural and remote Australia, which should include sufficient doctors, nurses and allied health staff.

“My research also identified the need for quality health service managers to implement the reforms across the new health networks,” Professor McAlpin said.