Primary Care By Shane Cummings
Medicare Locals: South West Challenges The first regional WA Medicare Local has big plans and a huge area to cover, but South West WA Medicare Local Chair Dr Mostyn Hamdorf sees plenty of potential. The South West WA Medicare Local (ML) is run by the South West Health Alliance, a company comprised of three GP Networks, although Chair Dr Mostyn Hamdorf said the Alliance predates the Medicare Local by six months. “The four GP Networks that comprise our Medicare Local boundary met in December last year, before we had any firm sounding from Canberra. Regardless of what happened at the Federal level, we resolved to Dr Mostyn Hamdorf proceed with our own primary health care reform in our boundaries [as the South West Health Alliance].” The Wheatbelt GP Network later decided not to join the Alliance. The idea that MLs are GP Networks by another name (as 20% of surveyed GPs said in our August edition e-poll) is a “misconception”, according to Mostyn, who plans to contract services back to GP Networks in his ML’s boundaries (including the Wheatbelt GP Network). “Existing GP Network programs, in the four
month transitional period, will be novated to the Medicare Local. We will then contract them back to the GP Networks. The Medicare Local will assume the financial responsibility.” Despite the shifting layers of bureaucracy, Mostyn denied any fundholding would negatively impact on GPs. “GP Networks are already fundholding organisations … but Medicare Locals don’t have anything to do with fundholding for general practice services. It’s just not on the agenda. The day to day business for the GP in his relationship with his individual patient will not be changed.” Lack of detail in the ML contract – the loudest criticism from ML detractors – is an opportunity in Mostyn’s eyes. “Even though there has been a lack of detail, it doesn’t mean there’s not a shared understanding of how Medicare Locals will work. In some respects, we’ve been advantaged by not having detail forced upon us. We haven’t been faced with the problem of a forced solution from a metropolitan area that may be applicable but we know will never work.” South West ML will forge partnerships with many of the usual suspects – the WA Country Health Service, Aboriginal Health groups, and
allied health providers – but one of the ML’s key partnerships will be the 73 local governments in their territory. “They have field workers and health planning officers, and they’ll be an important resource for us. One of the things we’ll develop is Local Health Hubs. Some already exist in Walpole and Kojonup, which were previously facilitated by local government. We will use them to garner information to provide really good population health planning.” However, Mostyn said the government’s rush to create Medicare Locals “hamstrung” South West ML’s consultation with concerned GPs and primary care stakeholders. “The government was keen to see this happen quickly, and the timeframe became shorter and shorter. We’ve been mindful of the fact that we didn’t have the time to consult during the tender process … We would really encourage the GPs in our patch to get in contact with us, and we are exploring the opportunity to sit down face to face with the AMA and come to a mutual understanding.” AMA (WA) declined to comment on this story. For more information on the South West Medicare Local, see: www.sw-medicarelocal. com.au l
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