More Allied Health Services (MAHS)
Rural Primary Health Services (RPHS) Program (formerly More Allied Health Services - MAHS)
On 1 July 2008, the Government created the Office of Rural Health to drive rural health reform in response to the findings of the Audit of Health Workforce in Rural and Regional Australia.
Since its establishment, the Office has reviewed the Government’s targeted rural health programs as a particular focus for reform. Rural health programs were considered under the following themes:
- Improving access to appropriate health and medical services, including health promotion and prevention;
- Investing more effectively in rural health infrastructure;
- Addressing workforce shortages through better workforce distribution and support;
- Strengthening workforce education and training; and
- Fostering partnerships between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments to improve health outcomes in rural and remote areas.
Consequently, the findings from the review indicated that many rural health programs were directed towards achieving the same or similar outcomes albeit via different strategies. Rural primary health programs will be consolidated and streamlined. Such an approach will:
- allow flexibility in primary health care service provision;
- enable services to better respond to the needs of rural communities;
- minimise duplication of effort; and
- maximise efficiencies in service provision and workforce utilisation.
As part of this refocus, the Government will consolidate four previously separate primary and allied health programs into the Rural Primary Health Services (RPHS) program.
- The RPHS program brings together the:
- More Allied Health Services (MAHS) program;
- Regional Health Services (RHS) program;
- Multipurpose Centre program (MPC); and
- Building Healthy Communities in Remote Australia program.
The RPHS program will maintain a focus on increasing access to a range of primary and allied health care services and activities for rural and remote communities, in particular, small and more remote communities and will continue to target community identified health needs. The consolidation will enable better service coordination and responsiveness and improve access to the services identified as priorities for the communities. By consolidating these programs and removing artificial barriers, service providers will be better placed to build, secure and retain a skilled primary health care workforce.
The Aim of the RPHS program is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in rural and remote Australia.
The Objectives of the RPHS program are to:
- Provide and maintain access to supplementary allied health and primary care services that are based on identified health needs in each community.
- Promote coordinated, multi-disciplinary team based approaches to the provision of integrated primary health care services.
- Establish and maintain effective community consultation practices for the planning, management, flexible delivery and ongoing review of the RPHS program.
- Provide and maintain access to relevant health promotion and preventative health programs and activities designed to promote health and wellbeing.
- Encourage people in rural and remote Australia to adopt or modify behaviors to better manage their health and wellbeing.
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For further information please contact
Sandra Beirs Telephone 02 6037 1405 Email sandrab@nevicdgp.org.au |
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