Rural communities identify primary health care needs

Better coordination of local health services has been highlighted by rural communities across Tasmania as a
key to improving the health of residents.

More than 230 people from 19 rural communities across Tasmania have identified their primary health care
needs and priorities in regional consultations held by Primary Health Tasmania in July and August.

Primary Health Tasmania will commission rural primary health services from 1 January next year in line with
Australian Government health priorities which include chronic conditions, drugs and alcohol, and mental
health.

Consultations were held in Queenstown, Burnie, Launceston, Bicheno, Brighton and on Flinders and King
islands and were attended by general practice, other health and community service providers, local council
representatives and consumers.

Primary Health Tasmania general manager Susan Powell said there were consistent messages from
participants about the need for better communication between providers and central points of information for
consumers.

“Person-centred care, improving access, addressing services gaps and providing health care more efficiently
were priorities across all nineteen communities represented,” Ms Powell said.

Primary Health Tasmania will open tenders shortly for the delivery of primary health services to address
priority health needs in rural and remote local government areas across Tasmania. These areas have been
selected on the basis of socioeconomic disadvantage, accessibility and remoteness.

More information about rural primary health services commissioning and feedback from the consultations is
available on the Primary Health Tasmania website: www.primaryhealthtas.com.au/commissioning/ruralprimary-health-services-commissioning

Primary Health Tasmania is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation working to connect care and keep
Tasmanians well and out of hospital. It was established on 1 July 2015 under the Australian Government’s
Primary Health Networks Program to support and enable a coordinated, primary care-focused health system.
Primary Health Tasmania general manager Susan Powell