The Northern Area Health Service has integrated its hospital and community health services to improve the experience of patients and the use our resources and staff.
Primary and secondary health care in the North operate under a single management team, bringing operational management closer to the patient.
Patients not needing acute care can be cared for closer to where they live in an environment that will speed their recovery. Having more people cared for in the community, reduces pressure on our hospitals, which will help free up beds in the Launceston General Hospital for patients needing acute care, and better use beds in the rest of the area.
Tasmania’s primary health care and secondary sectors agree that greater collaboration will help create a healthier population and more effectively and flexibly use health services’ human, financial and physical resources at the local level.
Northern Area Health Service better links information systems between the primary and secondary sectors, and between all health professionals whether they are employed by the state, commonwealth or private sector.
Community involvement
The Northern Area Health Service involves the community through Area Health Services Networks in community forums that discuss local health issues and area funding priorities, and provide feedback. Decisions about where resources will go are made at a local level.
The community networks include patients, GPs and people representing hospitals, primary health, non-government organisations, mental health services and local government.. They identify what’s working at the local level and what is not.
What stage are we at now?
While integration of acute and primary health services continues, capital works are also going on at the LGH and around the Area Health Service.
For example, work on the Longford Community Health centre costing $1.3 million is expected to be completed in February next year. The Multi Purpose Centre on Flinders Island is having $6 m. spent between next year and 2012.
And of course at the LGH, work is to start in September on an $12m. Emergency Department extension, and next year on an Integrated Care Centre to cost $18m.
A $15m. car parking project should be completed by the end of next year.
Work is continuing to develop a program of specialist outreach services to hospitals and centres.
With decisions on where resources and staff are allocated now to be made locally, the single management executive of the Northern Area Health Service will be in a better position to respond to local concerns.
