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PDF printable version of $8 Million Boost For Remote And Regional Health Services (PDF 53 KB)

Joint Release

The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister For Health And Ageing

The Hon Simon Crean MP
Minister For Regional Australia And Regional Development

The Hon Warren Snowdon MP
Minister For Indigenous Health

22 October 2010

People living in rural and remote communities are already benefiting from an innovative program that is boosting health and medical services in communities across the nation.

Forty-two organisations around Australia are receiving funding of more than $8.3 million for health infrastructure projects under the fourth round of the Government’s National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program (NRRHIP).

Under the program, funding is provided for infrastructure and equipment projects, including building new medical, surgical and training facilities, refurbishing doctors’ rooms, purchasing medical equipment and other essential resources.

Aboriginal health services and small rural private hospitals have also received vital funding for refurbishments, equipment or vehicles for outreach services.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the funding was already delivering immediate results at the local level.

“This funding allows small practices and health care providers to purchase much needed equipment and start delivering expanded services very quickly.

“These initiatives form part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to provide more access to health services for people living in rural and remote regions of Australia.”

Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean said the Gillard Government was committed to providing quality health services to all Australians.

“Rural and communities deserve quality health services and we are increasing the resources in this crucial area.

“This program is funding specific projects to assist in delivering better health services and improving the lives of people in rural and remote Australia.

“Improving medical rooms or upgrading services at a small rural hospital can have great benefit for the whole local community.”

Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon said the funding for health infrastructure was important for rural and remote areas.

“This funding is a demonstration of the commitment that Gillard Government has to improving health services across the country.

“Money for the projects has already started flowing.”

In Tasmania, for example, the Riverside Podiatry Clinic, which received a grant of $125,000 has purchased two vehicles, equipment and an IT upgrade, and has already commenced providing outreach services. The first clinic in St Helens was fully booked and received positive feedback from local residents.

The NRRHIP funding grants are part of the $46.5 million over four years committed to the program in the 2008-09 Federal Budget.

NRRHIP benefits the whole community, including doctors and a variety of allied health professionals. NRRHIP is transforming health and medical service delivery in the most practical way, by ensuring health providers are supported, and improving outcomes for patients.

The success and popularity of NRRHIP is demonstrated by the four funding rounds generating more than 900 applications, with 177 projects funded around Australia.

The fifth round of funding under NRRHIP closed on 30 September 2010. More information is available from the Department of Health and Ageing via the website or by calling 1800 780 939 (free call).

For all media inquiries, please contact

Minister Roxon’s Office on 02 6277 7220
Minister Crean’s Office on 02 6277 7380
Minister Snowdon’s Office on 02 6277 7380

Tally	Organisation	Location	State	Project Title	Project Summary	Funding Total (GST excl) $
1	Barwon Division of General Practice	Gunnedah	NSW	Gunnedah GP Super Clinic Project	Purchase equipment to be specifically utilised for the purpose-built, dedicated education wing of the proposed Gunnedah Rural Health GP Super Clinic.	154,057.00
2	Bilment Pty Limited	Batemans Bay	NSW	Education Upgrade Project	Purchase equipment to meet the current Royal Australian College of General Practioners guidelines for quality teaching.	32,978.00
3	Bourke Aboriginal Health Service	Bourke	NSW	Outback Eye Service Transport Project	Purchase a standard four wheel drive vehicle to improve and increase the efficiently of the visiting outreach eye team to ensure the communities in Western NSW have access to the highest standard of eye care.	38,272.83
4	Greater Hume Shire Council	Jindera	NSW	Jindera Medical Centre Project	Construct a new medical centre for medical and allied health practioners. The current facility, located in Aged Low Care Hostel in Jindera, is too small and inadequate.	413,650.00
5	Hastings Medical Centre	Wauchope	NSW	Student Education Project	Construct an education room designed to the specific needs of medical students with individual access to information technology plus an increase in GP and allied health consulting rooms.	151,000.00
6	Hysross Pty Ltd	Pambula	NSW	Pambula Medical Centre Training Extension Project	Modify consulting space to increase from five rooms to eight fully equipped consulting areas, two of which will be used exclusively by GP registrars and medical students in training.	491,013.04
7	Kylie Gough	Macksville	NSW	Macksville Refurbishment Project	Refurbish the consultation room, purchase an optical coherence tomography unit, a humphrey visual field analyser, a digital fundus camera, a slit lamp with digital camera and computer system to upgrade optometry services.	207,930.00
8	Narromine Shire Council	Narromine	NSW	Multipurpose Family Health Centre Extensions Project	Construct new consulting rooms and surgeries which will enable the existing practices to engage another doctor and another dentist to enable improved provision of medical and dental services to shire residents.	303,500.00
9	Premier Hearing Trust	Coffs Harbour	NSW	Portable Audiological Equipment Project	Purchase portable audiological equipment to facilitate service in Bellingen, Urunga, Macksville, Nambucca Heads and Woolgoolga.	37,790.00
10	Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health	Broken Hill	NSW	Multidisciplinary and Medical Training Project	Build and equip a purpose-built facility for medical training and delivery of GP, specialist and other primary health care related services.	501,500.00
11	Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health	Wagga Wagga	NSW	General Practice Clinic Kits Project	Provide general practice clinical kits which contain an appropriate range of basic up-to-date equipment to enhance medical students' diagnostic skills.	45,102.15
12	Temora Shire Council	Temora	NSW	Integrated Medical Centre Project	Construct a modern, purpose designed and functional medical centre to accommodate a wide range of health and allied health professionals providing medical and health service delivery.	501,500.00
13	Upper Hunter Shire Council	Murrurundi	NSW	Murrurundi Medical Centre Project	Modify and make additions to convert redundant offices at the Rural Transaction Centre to accommodate a new GP service.	135,357.00
14	Wagga Foot Clinic	Various locations	NSW	Podiatry Equipment Upgrade Project	To provide well equipped outreach podiatry services to Ariah Park, Barellan, Batlow, Coolamon, Cootamundra, Corryong, Galong, Gundagai, Harden, Holbrook, Junee, Leeton, Lockhart, Narrandera, Temora, The Rock, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Walwa.	183,504.00
15	Wakool Shire Council	Barham	NSW	Barham & District Medical Centre Project	Renovate the medical centre to improve the disabled facilities, make the consulting and procedure rooms bigger to improve their functionality and create a training room.	216,300.00
16	Weigelli Centre Aboriginal Corporation	Woodstock	NSW	Residential Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facility Project	Refurbish and fit-out the existing facility to create two dedicated counselling rooms.	10,452.82
17	Barcaldine Regional Council	Jericho	QLD	Jericho Health Clinic Upgrade Project	Replace carport roof (ambulance access), rainwater tank and stand, fitting of cupboards, emergency signage and purchase of medical, IT and videoconferencing equipment to improve access to services.	70,340.46
18	CHD South West Pty Ltd	Mitchell	QLD	Mitchell Dental Care Project	Refurbish existing premises to make it suitable for the running of a dental practice with a minimum of three operational chairs, plus associated equipment.	280,500.00
19	Fraser Coast Regional Council	Tiaro	QLD	Tiaro and District Medical Centre	Convert the former Tiaro Shire Council administration centre complex to a dedicated medical centre for a variety of associated medical services.	319,608.00
20	Friendly Society Private Hospital	Bundaberg	QLD	Day Oncology Service Project	Purchase equipment and furniture to establish the new day oncology service to the Bundaberg area.	167,051.99
21	Goondiwindi Physiotherapy Centre	Goondiwindi	QLD	Physiotherapy Centre Redevelopment Project	Enhance centre’s equipment, facilities and level of professional service, providing the people of Goondiwindi and the surrounding rural area with accessible and proficient physiotherapy treatment.	17,958.88
22	Miles Medical Centre	Miles	QLD	Training & Medical Facilities Project	Renovate the surgery to improve services and renovate the flat at the rear of the premises for use by visiting locums, students, trainees and visiting allied health professionals. Equipment will also be purchased.	407,614.25
23	Tamborine Mountain Medical Practice	North Tamborine	QLD	Registrar Training and Retention Project	Equip a new facility that will improve the opportunities available for medical students and improve services to patients.	150,816.00
24	Carolyn Cole & Associates Speech Pathology	Angaston	SA	Equipment Upgrade Project	Install a split system air-conditioner and the purchase of assessment, IT and office equipment to enhance speech pathology services.	22,190.05
25	Southern Fleurieu Family Practice	Yankalilla	SA	Training Facility Upgrade for Registrars and Medical Students Project	Refurbish and fit-out the existing facility to be able to offer a quality learning experience in rural general practice to medical students and registrars.	24,686.52
26	Tamra Enbom	Whyalla	SA	Mobile Orthotic Health Service Project	Purchase, fit-out and equip a van to provide a mobile orthotic health service to the Upper and Lower Eyre Peninsular of South Australia.	201,906.28
27	Nganampa Health Council Inc	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands	SA	Medical Equipment Modernisation Project	Purchase new medical equipment in nine remote clinics funding six defibrillators, nine vaccine fridges and five infant warmers.	183,636.00
28	Riverside Podiatry Clinic	Riverside	TAS	Northern Tasmania Podiatry Outreach Project	Purchase equipment to assist with podiatry outreach services in Northern Tasmania.	124,967.22
29	Scottsdale Doctors Surgery	Scottsdale	TAS	Fit-out of Training Consulting Rooms Project	Fit-out and equip two dedicated consulting/training rooms to provide much needed space for training purposes.	26,490.36
30	Bairnsdale Medical Group	Bairnsdale	VIC	Building Expansion Project	Extend and refurbish current premises to create additional treatment rooms used for training and observation of medical students and registrar, nursing staff and allied health workers.	322,781.64
31	Bass Coast Community Health Service	San Remo	VIC	San Remo Site Expansion Project	Construct a further six consulting rooms, an additional meeting/group room and increased and improved work stations to accommodate growth in staff/services for allied health.	501,500.00
32	East Gippsland Division of General Practice (Gippsland Lakes Community Health)	Metung	VIC	Metung Community Health Project	Provide a full time multidisciplinary health service to the people of Metung, Nungurner, Swan Reach and surrounds in a purpose-built facility consisting of two consulting rooms, a treatment room and a reception/waiting area.	456,278.00
33	Hindmarsh Shire Council	Nhill	VIC	Nhill Medical Centre Project	Construct a 'walk-in/walk-out' medical centre in Rainbow providing GP, visiting medical specialists, nurses and allied health services.	501,500.00
34	Holloway Vision Centre	Wangaratta	VIC	Eye Detection & Disorder Project	Purchase an oculus pentacam camera with software and installation to assist with eye disease disorder detection.	57,638.00
35	Neerim District Soldiers Memorial Hospital Inc	Neerim South	VIC	Strategic Plan & Theatre Equipment Project	Replace two aging thermal equipment sterilisers and develop a three year strategic plan to ensure that the health service is working collaboratively with all service providers and that all appropriate services are being provided.	48,260.00
36	Point Lonsdale Medical Group	Point Lonsdale	VIC	Service Delivery & Training Project	Purchase medical equipment to enhance service delivery and training for medical students and GP registrars.	14,415.45
37	Rebecca Kreuger	Swan Hill	VIC	Northern Mallee Mobile Speech Pathology Project	Purchase a motor vehicle, equipment and resources to provide a mobile speech pathology service to the Northern Mallee region.	67,175.65
38	The Contingent Unit Trust	Trafalgar	VIC	Training of Registrars, Interns and Medical Students Project	Build on and improve existing infrastructure to develop, train and support additional medical students, GP registrars and interns.	248,421.89
39	Wimmera Eye Care	Horsham	VIC	Vision Deterioration Detection Project	Purchase optical and other equipment to enhance optometry services.	116,900.00
40	Wonthaggi Medical Group	Wonthaggi	VIC	Training & General Medical Practice Facility Project	Construct a new health facility to provide extensive training facilities and resources for students, interns and registrars.	501,500.00
41	Yea Medical Centre	Yea	VIC	Training and Development Project	Resource all five consulting and treatment rooms with medical equipment commensurate with industry standards health service delivery that will enhance training and development opportunities.	42,344.35
42	Shire of Goomalling	Goomalling	WA	Mobile Unit	Safeguarding the medical and dental practice by installing a generator in response to an increase in power outages and supply inadequacies, plus upgrading medical and office equipment.	50,500.00
					Total	8,350,887.83