|
 Aim:
To introduce
policies and programs that promote, maintain and improve the health and well being of all
people living in rural and remote Western Australia.
Achievements
4TH National Rural Health Conference The National Rural Health Conference was held in Perth in February 1997, attracting more than 700 delegates, making it one of the most successful to date. While Western Australia traditionally holds an annual statewide rural health conference, it was decided to combine the State component with the National event, ensuring national exposure for the initiatives and programs developed in rural and remote Western Australia. Rural Obstetrics During 1996/97, a Rural Obstetrics Reference Group was convened with two key aims:
A discussion paper "Rural Obstetric Services in Western Australia" was published in February 1997 and more than 700 copies distributed widely for comment. The final paper will be available in late 1997. Parry Packs A rural emergency resuscitation pack called the Parry Pack is now available in more than 140 sites in Western Australia. In recognition of rural emergency medical needs, funding of $300, 000 was obtained to develop and distribute these packs. The kit is a bag holding a standard set of equipment and drugs which can now be found in all rural hospitals and nursing posts, remote health centres, Silver Chain Bush Nursing Posts and Aboriginal Medical Services. The pack allows access to a consistent set of equipment in all emergency situations across rural and remote areas ensuring medical and nursing staff are familiar with available resources. Rural Nursing Programs In recognition of the difficulties in recruitment and retention of rural nurses, a range of programs targeting key areas were funded by the Health Department of Western Australia in 1996/97. Key programs included: Remote Area Nursing; Triage Training; Community and Child Health; Maternity Nursing; Perioperative Nursing; Margaret Beard Fund; Continuing Education Nursing Grants; and Director of Nursing/ Health Service Manager. Combined University Department of Rural Health (CUDRH) During the year Rural Health Development successfully coordinated a submission securing funding of $1.5 million per annum for three years to establish a Combined Universities Department of Rural Health in Western Australia. The three WA universities; University of Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology and Edith Cowan University, will establish and manage the Department of Rural Health. The new department is anticipated to commence in 1997/98. Multidisciplinary Rural Health Training Rural Health Education Support funding was used in 1996/97 to develop Multidisciplinary Rural Health Training Units to address specific training priorities of the rural workforce. Negotiations occurred during the year for three units to be established in Kalgoorlie, Port Hedland and Geraldton. Rural Health Training Units will be fully operational in 1997/98 and will have strong linkages with the Department of Rural Health, also being established in 1997/98. Multi Purpose Service (MPS) Program The MPS program is a joint initiative between all States and the Commonwealth designed to overcome obstacles in providing health and aged care services in rural communities. The concept involves the pooling of State and Commonwealth funding at a level which allows the community to meet health and aged care needs by sharing infrastructure and resources. Within the national pilot program, WA has six pilot sites. Three of these pilot sites were underway before 1996/97 at Dalwallinu, Boyup Brook and Northampton/Kalbarri. The pilot site at Laverton/Leonora started during the year and the remaining two pilot sites in the Eastern Wheatbelt and Central Great Southern Health Services continued their development as district sites. In July 1996, expressions of interest were called for communities interested in developing an MPS. A total of 34 expressions of interest were received, with 12 sites being approved as priority sites for development. The nursing home resources which will be used to develop these sites are from the restructure of State Government Nursing Home beds from Mt Henry Hospital.The 12 priority sites for development include; Augusta; Beverley; Denmark; Kondinin/Kulin; Lake Grace; Murchison (Shires of Mt Magnet, Cue, Meekatharra, Sandstone) Norseman; North Midlands (Carnamah, Three Springs, Coorow); Morawa/Perenjori; Onslow; Ravensthorpe; and York. Patients Assisted Travel Scheme The impact of the 1995/96 changes to PATS became apparent in 1996/97, with savings from the scheme resulting in over $1.1 million of additional services established in rural areas. Additional services are included in the table below. The free call line for PATS was transferred to Rural Health Development in September 1996, with analysis demonstrating approximately 100 enquiries received in a three-month period, mostly from rural and metropolitan hospitals. Rural Surgical Service Negotiations took place with the West Australian Surgical Research Training and Development Foundation Incorporated, who operated a Commonwealth funded University Rural Surgical Service, to secure funding for a further three year period. A funding agreement with the Health Department for three years from 1997/98 was developed to the value of $1.28 million. Rural Health Reference Group The Rural Health Reference Group kept stakeholders up-to-date on major health policy initiatives in rural areas, and provided input during the development phase of these policies.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
