Submission

AMA submission to the Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy

This submission responds to the HWA draft background paper - Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy released in July 2011 as part of the consultation process.The AMA believes it is important that the Government gets it right to ensure that the health workforce in rural and remote areas is sustainable and that people in rural communities can access affordable, appropriate health care services when needed.

The AMA is participating in the national consultation process being undertaken by Health Workforce Australia who are tasked with developing a Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy. 

This submission responds to the HWA draft background paper - Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy released in July 2011 as part of the consultation process.

The submission is broad ranging and based on the the HWA template.  The submission stresses the AMA's:

  • belief that the Department of Health and Ageing's rural health programs are under-funded, complex, fragmented and too restrictive.  This has resulted in a patchwork approach over many years to solving the lack of access to health services in rural Australia;
  • support for team based care arrangements;
  • belief that health care in rural areas depends on a strong primary healthcare workforce and a viable public hospital system; and
  • belief that there is a need for a skilled generalist medical workforce of adequate number.

Among other things the submission calls for the Government to implement the AMA/RDAA Rural Rescue Package.

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