Medicare Locals & Community Services

1. Medicare Locals & Community Services

2. Presentation outline • National Health reform – where it all began • What do Medicare Locals do? • Needs Assessment and Annual Plan – one way we can work together

3. Where it all began… • National health reform agreement • Aug 2011 COAG • Two networks – Medicare Locals and Local Hospital Networks • In Queensland • Hospital and Health Service (HHS) – 16 regions and Childrens’ • Medicare Locals – 11 across Queensland

4. The problem: our complex health system Source: Parliament of Australia website

5. What are Medicare Locals? • Independent companies limited by guarantee • Reorient the health system to primary health care • Regional Primary Health Care Organisations: • Increasing access to primary health care – identifying gaps • Coordinating health services (primary and with tertiary) • Population health planning and community engagement

6. MLs: Current status and models • 61 all established • Delivery Models vary • Membership models vary: • Mainly hybrid individual and organisational • Boards – best practice governance • Appointed against a skills matrix – no single profession dominance rule

7. ML Strategic Objectives • Identify population health service needs and develop services • Integrate and co-ordinate services for the community • Support clinicians and service providers • Good performance (of initiatives and program delivery) • Efficient, accountable & effective governance

8. What we all have in common? • Each year we must produce an Annual Plan • This must be based on a documented Needs Assessment • The Needs Assessment must demonstrate community consultation and engagement

9. Thank you