THE head of a regional health network is calling for changes to be made to improve access to health care services.
Murray Primary Health Network chief executive officer, Matt Jones said last week that residents of regional areas continue to be comparatively disadvantaged in health outcomes, with a co-ordinated approach needed.
Across the vast Murray PHN region, there are more than 33,300 adults affected by diabetes, 13,700 people over the age of 45 affected by chronic lung diseases and more than 8300 affected by chronic heart failure.
“We have higher rates of debilitating chronic illnesses than residents of our cities, significant levels of poor mental health, alcohol and other drug issues, an ageing population, a huge geographical area to service, and the challenges of attracting and retaining a skilled medical workforce to support our regional populations,” Mr Jones said.
“It is time for change in our health system, to find innovative ways of delivering co-ordinated services in a regional context and to enable us to cope with the increasing demands of acute and chronic illness.”
Mr Jones referenced population health data that showed that poor disease management and a lack of appropriate or available primary care services in some areas put pressure on ambulance services and emergency departments as patients health deteriorated unnecessarily.
“We know that poorly managed illnesses cause an estimated 71,500 potentially preventable hospital days in our region each year, this results in over $200 million for our hospital system and a potential block to reducing hospital waiting lists.” he said.
“Without adequate co-ordination and focus, the result of this situation can generate devastating impacts upon the health of individuals and hampers the ability of the system to provide optimal and effective care”.
