AMA submission on National Performance and Accountability Framework

The AMA submission to the Department of Health and Ageing on the draft Performance and Accountability Framework which will be used by the National Health Performance Authority urges the Government to undertake a proper consultation process on the performance indicators proposed in the Framework beyond the State and Territory governments.

The implementation of the Framework must recognise that hospitals and health care organisations which have difficulty meeting access targets are most likely to be those that are under resourced and need more financial support. No hospital can meet performance targets if it is not sufficiently resourced, and therefore has the capacity to meet patient demand.

The AMA does not support a structure that will direct patients and funding away from general practices. Nor does the AMA support a structure that disenfranchises general practitioners from directly managing the care and treatment of their patients.