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$6.5 million for 24 hour medical care across Tasmania

Tasmanians will soon access a Statewide Telephone Triage and Medical Advice Service thanks to a Federal Government funding boost of up to $6.5 million.

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13 July 2003

$6.5 million for 24 hour medical care across Tasmania

Tasmanians will soon access a Statewide Telephone Triage and Medical Advice Service thanks to a Federal Government funding boost of up to $6.5 million.

The Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said After Hours GP Services provided a valuable service to the community and took a significant load off GPs.

The new funding expands the work of an additional pilot program in Southern Tasmania which had been in operation for the past four years. This successful pilot has resulted in a service which provides best practice after-hours care for patients. This further injection of funds extends the trial until June 2005 and provides the means to service the entire State.

"The Howard Government is committed to improving access to general practitioners throughout Australia. After hours services such as this play a significant role in retaining doctors in rural and regional areas by reducing their after hours work load," Senator Patterson said.

"The service delivers significant benefits for the people of Tasmania. The trial has met with a high degree of patient satisfaction. People no longer need to travel to seek medical advice and this will particularly benefit people living in rural and remote areas. In fact, during the trial period up to 70% of calls resulted in patients' medical needs being met in the comfort of their own home.

If a General Practitioner opts to use the Service their patient's call to the practice is diverted to the call centre which is manned by registered nurses and general practitioners who provide medical advice and reassurance to the patient.

Where a doctor concludes that an acute emergency is present they will immediately arrange for an ambulance and notify the patient's usual GP. If it is recommended that the patient seek medical advice the next day, the call centre can arrange the appointment on the patient's behalf.

The telephone triage and medical advice service will incorporate comprehensive and secure electronic exchange of patient demographics and clinical data between the call centre and the triage doctor and will ensure that the patient's privacy is protected at all times.

"It is always encouraging to see innovations in health care. This service is unique as no other product which integrates directly with a computerised nurse-triage function presently exists in Australia," Senator Patterson said.

"This is another example of the Commonwealth's support for general practitioners who are the lynchpin of our primary health care system," Senator Patterson said.

"I would like to congratulate everyone who has been involved in the evolution of this successful service," she said.

Please note: Senator Patterson will be in Tasmania to announce the funding on Sunday 13 July at 11:30 am

Where: 252 Main Rd, Derwent Park, Hobart

Media inquiries: Sarah Higginbottom, Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.