‘Timely’ care in health spotlight

BY JESSICA GRIMBLE

Anew report highlights the integrated challenges of improving health outcomes for rural and regional people.

Grampians Health chief strategy and regions officer Dr Rob Grenfell said the latest Royal Flying Doctor Service report, ‘Best for the bush, rural and remote health base line 2022’ highlighted the ‘ongoing’ challenges of the ‘maldistribution’ of healthcare workers and funding.

He said this included promoting early intervention and prevention measures, offering integrated and alternative care options, and advocating for funding and improved infrastructure.

He said there was a role for communities to continue to advocate for individuals and groups.

“Ten percent of the Australian population lives in outer regional areas. There still needs to be continued pressure for communities to have equitable access to healthcare,” he said.

“For all of us living in rural and regional areas, just because it’s difficult to get health checks and to follow good health practices doesn’t mean you should stop trying.

“It’s very important, particularly in outcomes for cardiac disease, for example, that all Australians over-45 know their risk and, if they have risk factors, to manage them for a healthier and longer life.”

About 30 percent of the Australian population lives outside of major cities. The majority of the Wimmera and southern Mallee is classified as ‘outer regional’. Border communities are classified as ‘remote’.

The report, released last month, presented the latest data on people’s health along with aeromedical retrieval data and evidence on ser- vice gaps. It demonstrated significantly poorer health outcomes – including life expectancy and mortality rates – for people with limited access to primary health services.

People living in rural and remote areas are 2.5 times more likely, than those in cities, to be hospitalised for a reason that is potentially preventable.

Challenges in attracting and retaining general practitioners to rural areas, including the Wimmera and southern Mallee, are well documented.

Dr Grenfell said those challenges meant people were not getting appropriate and timely health checks, which went on to impact intervention measures, treatment and recovery. He said lockdowns and restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the issue, globally.

“Health outcomes of rural Australians are not as good as their urban equivalents and life expectancy is reduced, the further rural and remote you get – but none of this is new information, because much is related to accessibility to timely healthcare,” Dr Grenfell said.

“We also experience significant social disadvantage in our rural areas – the Grampians is one of the most disadvantaged regions in Australia.”

The report showed the most common reason for an aeromedical retrieval was heart disease.

Dr Grenfell said Grampians Health leaders were working with partner organisations to consider how to offer integrated cancer services and improve cardiac disease management, as two examples, within the region and closer to the patients’ home.

The report is part of an annual series; people can view it in full via www.flyingdoctor.org.au