July 2002

Community health sector looks ahead

More than 250 community health representatives took part in a forum to help develop a 10-year vision and policy framework for the sector.

A discussion paper Towards a Community Health Policy Framework formed the framework for forum debate.

The paper was developed by a reference group comprising key Department of Human Services and sector representatives and distributed widely before the forum.

Rural and Regional Health and Aged Care Executive Director Dr Chris Brook told the forum that over the past 10 years funding from a range of sources to the community health sector had grown from $100 to $300 million.

He encouraged forum delegates to think creatively about future opportunities when developing the policy framework.

At the end of the two-day seminar, West Gippsland Healthcare Group Community Services Director Linda McCoy, Bendigo Community Health Service Chief Executive Officer Sue Clarke and Victorian Community Health Association President and Ranges Community Health Service CEO Linda West joined Monashlink Board of Management Chair Dan Hourigan to present the framework to Minister for Health John Thwaites during the final session.

They told him that the community health sector:

• Was keen to play a greater role in enhancing the Victorian health system;

• Was prepared to work and develop evidence to justify and be held accountable for investments in the sector;

• Wanted to be supported as the integrated platform for primary health care;

• Was committed to building community capacity to improve local health outcomes.

Opportunities for development included an enhanced focus on:

• Ambulatory acute care;

• Integrated disease management;

• Reducing hospital admissions;

• Redressing inequities in health outcomes.

Mr Hourigan said the forum had given him—and the other 12,000 members of Community Health Centres—the chance to get a hand on some levers of decision-making and influence the development of community health.

The final policy framework is expected at the end of 2002.

This will follow broad consultation with the field on a draft policy framework that will be developed over the next two months.

• Information on the forum including details of the presentations can be found on the Primary Health Knowledge Base website on www.dhs.vic.gov.au/phkb or by contacting Kent Rogers on 9616 8614.