> Resources and Publications > PHC RIS infonet > December 2009 > Health care reform: Primary Health Care Organisations

Health care reform: Primary Health Care Organisations

“Service coordination and population health planning priorities should be enhanced at the local level through the establishment of Primary Health Care Organisations, evolving from or replacing the existing Divisions of General Practice. These organisations will need to

• have appropriate governance to reflect the diversity of clinicians and services forming comprehensive primary health care;
• be of an appropriate size to provide efficient and effective coordination (say approximately 250 000 to 500 000 population depending on health need, geography and natural catchment); and
• meet required criteria and goals to receive ongoing Commonwealth funding support.”

This recommendation (#21) in the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission’s A healthier future for all Australians - Final Report <http://www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/nhhrc-report-toc> has led to a great deal of activity in the primary health care sector since June 2009. I have been fortunate to attend two very different types of consultation on this topic. (see conference report for the second consultation).

One meeting was both strategic and practical. General Practice Victoria (GPV) has been discussing national health reform and its implications for Victoria in local forums as well as taking part in national forums through AGPN. On 18 September Chairs and CEOs of the Divisions of General Practice in Victoria as well as people from the state and federal health departments met to identify strategic implications and associated governance issues that division board members will need to decide on. Brightly coloured maps of different scenarios helped participants to consider potential changes needed to boundaries and size to enable Victorian divisions to evolve into Primary Health Care Organisations (PHCO). With the benefit of a great deal of local knowledge, participants considered potential partners – agencies, professions and organisations – with whom to establish PHCOs in Victoria. The presentations, including maps are all available on the GPV website, as well as content of previous forums. The website content demonstrates GPV’s considerable capacity in policy analysis as well as its willingness to share information.

Further information is available at: <www.gpv.org.au/content.asp?cid=34&wid=554&t=Forums%20for%20Victorian%20divisions>