Building a 21st Century Primary Health Care System: A Draft of Australia's First National Primary Health Care Strategy
Foreword
As Health Minister, I am pleased to be taking this significant step in releasing this draft of Australia’s first National Primary Health Care Strategy.
The Draft Strategy recognises that a strong primary health care system is critical to the future success and sustainability of our health care system. Primary health care is vital to making our health system focus more on keeping people well and able to participate in life and work, rather than just looking after them when they are sick. It is an important part of addressing the current inequities in access and outcomes for some groups in our community, including Indigenous Australians and those who live in our rural areas. It is also key to addressing the future challenges of ageing and the growing burden of chronic disease, and to managing pressures on our hospitals.
Over the last year or so, there has been considerable discussion, debate and hard work to consider future directions for our health system. The importance of primary health care has emerged as a recurrent theme in these deliberations, not only in the work to develop this Draft Strategy, but also in recommendations from both the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and the National Preventative Health Taskforce. This reflects growing international evidence of the benefits to health systems of strong primary health care.
The Draft Strategy sets out a road map for the future – to provide Australians with a primary health care system which is among the best in the world and which is equipped to meet future challenges. Primary health care is the first point of connection with the health system and needs to be able to manage the full range of challenges that emerge, from prevention to enabling access to health services, through to managing complex chronic conditions in partnership with other health sectors.
The Draft Strategy recognises that, underpinned by Medicare, our existing system has many strengths. It builds on these strengths to harness the benefits of technology, including eHealth, and provides health care professionals with the infrastructure, equipment, skills and organisational arrangements they need to deliver 21st century primary health care to all Australians. It recognises that there is an important role for new regional primary health care organisations in ensuring that services respond to the needs and priorities of local communities and that local communities are actively involved in planning for their region.
Improving access, better managing chronic disease, a more systematic focus on prevention, accompanied by a strong framework for quality and safety are key directions for change set out in the Draft Strategy.
The Draft Strategy is not a detailed implementation plan: many of the changes proposed are complex and further discussion, informed by this Draft Strategy, will be required to determine the precise nature of changes and specific approaches to implementation.
In releasing the Draft Strategy, I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who contributed to its development, including all those who made submissions. I particularly thank Dr Tony Hobbs, who chaired the External Reference Group, together with all members of that Group who gave so generously of their time, experience and knowledge in supporting the development of this Draft Strategy and the accompanying Report.
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing