A new multidisciplinary health service model of care will deliver culturally appropriate primary health care services in Cooma and Batemans Bay, thanks to support from the Australian Government.
Grand Pacific Health has received $873,412 to deliver the new model under the Albanese Government’s Innovative Models of Care Program, which trials new ways of delivering multidisciplinary primary care in rural and remote communities.
This local model will utilise local First Nation stories to create health prevention and chronic condition management programs, fostering prevention, early detection and mitigation of chronic conditions.
The Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain MP and Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP welcomed the announcement as another step in the Albanese Government’s plan to improve health services across the South Coast.
The program will be implemented in Cooma and Batemans Bay by June 2024.
The innovative health care trials across rural and remote Australia involve health care professionals working together across disciplines to ensure Australians – no matter where they live – get the right care, at the right time, by the right team.
The grants are part of a $24.7 million, four-year Government investment, with further information available at https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/imoc-program.
Quotes attributable to Kristy McBain MP:
“We’re committed to finding innovative ways to provide care, like this one being delivered in Cooma and on the South Coast – which will bring primary health care professionals together to deliver targeted services to communities.
“We know that when we listen to communities and engage with people in a culturally respectful way, we can improve the care and management of complex health problems.
“This is part of our broader investment in improving healthcare in Eden-Monaro – which also includes wiping HECS debts for doctors and nurses, tripling the bulk billing incentive, and looking at how we can better distribute healthcare workers as part of our Working Better for Medicare Review.”
Quotes attributable to Fiona Phillips MP:
“Business as usual health care in our regions is experiencing significant challenges, so I am simply delighted to see this investment in a new multidisciplinary model targeted towards our First Nations communities.
“We must prioritise access to primary care in new and innovative ways so that local people can access the health services they need, before health issues escalate and place even more pressure on our struggling hospital systems.
“We have listened to feedback from regional doctors about what they need, and we have targeted our regional and rural healthcare package to where it is needed most.
“I’ve been delighted to deliver the new Urgent Care Clinic in Batemans Bay which has seen almost 2000 patients since it opened two months ago, supporting local people and taking pressure of the local hospital.
“On top of this, we are supporting practices to train, recruit and importantly retain more regional doctors, as well as improving access to bulk billing, and supporting GPs with targeted financial assistance.
“You can’t undo a decade of neglect in general practice overnight, but we will keep working every day to address the unique challenges regional communities like ours on the South Coast are facing.
