Consultation Draft - Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan

Overview

Future focused primary health care: Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022-2032

Consultation Draft - Survey

The Consultation Draft of the Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan (the plan) draws on input from consultations with individuals and organisations across the country from late 2019 to mid-2021. The plan represents a high level response to the recommendations of the Primary Health Reform Steering Group (Steering Group) which has been working since October 2019 on future directions for primary health care reform.

Drawing on this extensive engagement process, and diversity of views expressed, the plan synthesises ambitions for primary health care into three broad streams:

Stream 1    Future focused primary health care

Stream 2    Person-centred primary health care, supported by funding reform

Stream 3    Integrated care, locally delivered.

An overview diagram, at figure 3 in part 4 of the plan, shows the three streams, the 12 broad action areas identified and the setting for the plan – the Quadruple Aim, objectives and enablers.

Your voice is important

The Government wants to hear from people and organisations with an interest in primary health care and in what a future focused system can deliver under the Quadruple Aim to:

• Improve people’s experience of care.
• Improve the health of populations.
• Improve the cost-efficiency of the health system.
• Improve the work life of health care providers.

Some context and a quick guide to the plan

This plan has been developed as part of the Government’s commitments under the Long Term National Health Plan (see link below).

Details about the range of consultations conducted from late 2019 to identify issues, provide insights to support the work of the Steering Group and inform the development of the plan are set out in part 1 of the plan. The membership of the Steering Group is at Annex A to the plan.

The recommendations developed by the Steering Group are attached below. Draft recommendations were tested with the over 400 organisations and individuals linked to the earlier consultations.

Participants in consultations and the Steering Group used the well-regarded Quadruple Aim, together with objectives and enablers as agreed points of reference. These are outlined in part 2 of the plan.

Part 3 of the plan and figure 2 set out the foundations for primary health care reform, including Government commitments and funding aligned with the intent of the plan.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed the role of primary health care in communities across Australia, accelerated the use of telehealth, provided exemplars of the value of local collaboration across providers and systems and showed how data can be used to support and inform the community, providers and governments.

The plan acknowledges the significance of the Addendum to the 2020-2025 National Health Reform Agreement and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, accompanied by the Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan (see links below).

There are significant inter-dependencies between this plan and other plans, strategies and frameworks, particularly in the areas of digital health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, workforce, rural health and genomics.  These are outlined at Annex B to the plan.

Why your views matter

The draft plan attached below is open for consultation via the survey linked below and will close at midnight 9 November 2021. If you have any questions about how to complete the survey, please email primaryhealthcarereform@health.gov.au.

As this is a non-linear survey you are able to provide feedback to any or all sections of the survey and in no particular order.  When responding to the questions with specific examples, if you could please provide the appropriate source or evidence for your response, that would be much appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to hearing your views.

Privacy and your personal information

Please see the links below for further detail on the consultation hub privacy information and Departmental privacy information.

What happens next

Consultation Draft - Future focused primary health care: Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022-2032, consultation period closed on 9 November 2021.

The Consultation Draft was released for the purpose of seeking the views of people and organisations with an interest in primary health care.

Please note the Consultation Draft will inform the final Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan. It does not constitute the final position of the Australian Government.

The plan will be further considered in light of feedback provided in the consultation.