What’s happening
There are big changes underway to health services to improve the experience of patients and better use resources and staff.
A transition to a Northern Area Health Service will progressively integrate services.
Primary and secondary health care in the North is being brought together under a single management team, bringing operational management closer to the patient.
The focus of the move is the integration of the LGH, an acute care teaching hospital, with community hospitals and primary health care services.
This will mean that patients not needing acute care can be cared for closer to where they live in an environment which will speed their recovery. It will see more people cared for in the community, reducing pressure on hospitals.
It will help to free up beds in the LGH for patients needing acute care, and better use beds in the rest of the area.
The move to three Area Health Services in Tasmania is part of the State’s Health Plan.
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.
Integrating acute and primary health services will break down the artificial barriers that exist between primary and secondary care to smooth the experience of patients.
It will also better link 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 will involve the community through Area Health Services Networks in community forums that discuss local health issues and area funding priorities, and provide feed back. Decisions about where resources will go will be made at a local level.
The community networks will include patients, GPs and people representing hospitals, primary health, non-government organisations, mental health services and local government.. They’ll identify what’s working at the local level and what is not.
The timetable
Big changes like these cannot happen overnight. It’s hoped structural integration will be completed by the beginning of July, and the full integration of services will continue until they are complete.
A communications strategy is in place to inform the public and health staff about the changes.
Some nurses have already expressed interest in working in various areas around the Area Health Service, and more are expected to opt to move to community hospitals, and also from community hospitals to the LGH.
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.