News
Progressing On Several Fronts |
| Spokesperson: | National Rural Health Alliance |
| Date: | Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
| Category: | National Health News |
| The Federal budget that was rumoured to provide something for everybody has indeed seen some valuable initiatives announced for improved health in rural and remote Australia. Particularly welcome are new initiatives relating to health research, palliative care in country areas and a ‘viability supplement’ for community aged care. The Alliance has been negotiating with relevant parties to secure a fair proportion of total health research funds for rural and remote activity and to ensure that rural and remote interests are appropriately reflected in the new health research structures. Tonight’s announcement of a total additional $905m for health and medical research, which includes an extra $500m over four years to the NH&MRC, will receive strong support from rural people in anticipation of their success in obtaining an appropriate benefit. An existing program for palliative services in rural areas, particularly for children, the elderly and Indigenous people has received continued funding for the next four years. The Alliance warmly welcomes the introduction of a viability supplement for community care services in rural areas, similar to that received by residential services, in recognition of the higher costs faced by country providers. This is something that the Alliance and Aged and Community Services Australia have advocated in their joint submissions. The rural and remote centrepieces of this budget are two special programs for communities of less than 7000 people. The Alliance welcomes the so-called alignment of a range of programs provided by both the Commonwealth and the States and Territories so that they can be used flexibly at the local level. Although it remains to be seen exactly how this will work on the ground, it has been clear for some time that innovative ways to make more effective local use of health and related funds are well overdue. The second program will see changes to Medicare in small towns with a shortage of doctors making it possible for Medicare benefits to be claimed for primary care services delivered by state-funded GPs. The Alliance has not been privy to the detail of how this scheme will operate or the sites selected and looks forward to working with the Commonwealth and States/Territories to help ensure that the proposal succeeds in improving access to primary care. Country people will also welcome the major new investment in a number of rural roads and in further protecting the resources of the Murray-Darling Basin. Such key infrastructure investments underpin the health of Australia’s country towns and regions and thus the health of their people. The Alliance also notes confirmation in the Budget of significant new investment by the Commonwealth in mental health, foreshadowed by COAG in January. Assuming the States and Territories match the Commonwealth’s commitment, it should be possible to make progress on this critical issue. The Alliance supports the call for increased spending on mental health to 12% of national health expenditure; moves to recruit more mental health workers to rural and remote areas; and better support for the carers of people with mental health illness and hopes these will be progressed with the additional resources. In the context of these new mental health initiatives, the Alliance also strongly supports the recommendations from the recent Forum hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia and Mensline Australia for reducing men’s suicide. The Forum drew up a blueprint for change and set out a clear long-term goal that by 2030 all Australians will know what actions to take individually and collectively to prevent suicide. This will require an assertive, well-resourced, long-term and evaluated strategy that can begin now that the Budget has confirmed the new allocations. The additional places for medical students confirmed in the Budget are welcome, but the Alliance would like to see the increase largely in HECS-funded rather than full fee-paying places. There are also major concerns about the infrastructural support for these additional places, including the capacity of the universities, of rural mentors and of the training hospitals to deal with greater numbers. The goal must be to ensure that a major proportion of medical undergraduates end up as doctors in rural and remote areas and areas of need in the cities. Tonight’s budget has allocated an additional $137 million over four years to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The focus on reducing substance abuse and on supporting the role of Indigenous health workers is welcomed. However the extent of the extra effort, in the context of a surplus of $11 billion, is still disappointing. Rural and remote people would like to see further major national investment in primary health care and infrastructure for Indigenous communities, as well as cross-cultural training and support for hospital staff. The National Rural Health Alliance will continue its work to try to ensure that people in rural and remote areas share fairly in the benefits of the nation’s growth and development. |
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