General News
15 August, 2022
Health workforce project
A SUSTAINABLE local health workforce was vital for better health outcomes in the Loddon, said Murray Primary Health Network CEO Matt Jones“Without the support of local health services and governments, many existing primary care providers are...
A SUSTAINABLE local health workforce was vital for better health outcomes in the Loddon, said Murray Primary Health Network CEO Matt Jones
“Without the support of local health services and governments, many existing primary care providers are increasingly financially threatened,” he said.
“But not only do we need the care of general practitioners, we need the care of rural health teams, including nursing and allied health practitioners.”
Pilots to improve workforce sustainability are an initiative Buloke, Loddon Gannawarra Health and Wellbeing Executive Network made up of a dozen health, educational and local government agencies, which share resources and develop plans to address community priorities across the region.
Matt said rural health teams could provide the range of services needed to support general practice care and address the chronic disease burden faced by so many communities.
“It’s incredibly difficult to provide team-based care when general practice doesn’t have the capacity – on top of providing its usual services - to be able to provide the structures needed to incorporate more of the team in that type of approach,” he said.
The integrated health network alliance has launched its Sustainable Rural Health Project to begin addressing the gaps caused by workforce shortages. Using up-to-date research, the project is helping health services work with community to create and trial new services and strategies that encourage doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to live and work in rural areas over the longer term.
Lead agency, Northern District Community Health has been s awarded a La Trobe University Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research Partnership $50,000 grant.
This will add to Murray PHN’s $130,000 investment in its first pilot, the Nurse Practitioner Rural Outreach Model.
Northern District Community Health CEO Mandy Hutchinson said that when nurse practitioners work closely with GPs to provide similar primary care services, it helps increase the number of patients who can be seen in a day and extends a community’s access to services where GP access is limited.
“While we’re excited to have received the grant to help develop the nurse practitioner model further, the IHN Alliance is also looking forward to trialling other models and strategies to see what works best for communities and what can add value to and strengthen existing services.
“The Sustainable Rural Health Project has the potential to lead the way in addressing major rural health challenges and helping other small rural communities both here and overseas.
“People who use health services, or who care for somebody who does, are encouraged to get involved in this important project by sharing their health needs, experiences and ideas with us,” Mandy said.