Medicare Locals to Reform Primary Health Care in Victoria
Four communities in Victoria will be leading primary health care reform, as Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon announced the Victorian organisations that will become Medicare Locals from 1 July 2011.
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17 June 2011
Four communities in Victoria will be leading primary health care reform, as Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon announced the Victorian organisations that will become Medicare Locals from 1 July 2011.
“The announcement of Victorian Medicare Locals today finalised the first 19 areas to lead primary care reform as part of the Government’s National Health Reform,” Ms Roxon, said. “Medicare Locals will help to ensure that patients will have access to the right health service at the right place and time.
“They will have the important role of working with GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, Indigenous health organisations and Local Hospital Networks to identify and respond to gaps in local health services and help patients and health professionals navigate our often complex system more easily.
“We see Medicare Locals as the enablers or coordinators to make this happen – the glue that will help to bring together these often disconnected parts of the primary health care system.
The first four Victorian Medicare Locals will be:
| Medicare Local | Applicant/s |
| Inner East Melbourne Medicare Local | Melbourne East General Practice Network |
| Barwon Medicare Local | General Practitioners Association of Geelong |
| Inner North West Medicare Local | Melbourne General Practice Network and Progressive Primary Health Ltd. |
| Northern Melbourne Medicare Local | North East Valley Division of General Practice and Northern Melbourne Division of General Practice |
The Government also today announced updated boundaries for Medicare Locals in Victoria. These boundaries plan for 17 Medicare Locals to be established in Victoria, part of an Australia-wide network of 62 Medicare Locals.
In updating these boundaries for Medicare Locals, the Australian Government took into account a number of factors including the views of state governments, how Medicare Locals would align with Local Hospital Networks, local population numbers, existing local health services and patient referral patterns.
The updated boundaries for all Medicare Locals across Australia will be available on www.yourhealth.gov.au
Applicants to become Medicare Locals in the second and third tranches should base their applications on these boundaries.
For more information please contact Ms Roxon’s office (02) 6277 7220
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