Doctors looking to achieve more from funding

MEDIA RELEASE
23 APRIL 2009

Doctors looking to achieve more from current funding

Media release from Pinnacle Group

The more than 300 GPS and 400 nurses that make up the Pinnacle General Practice Network believe the potential exists to deliver more frontline medical and health services to the public from the $50 million allocated annually to its five primary health organisations.

Through Pinnacle, the practices’ own or are part owners of five of the Primary Health Organisations (PHOs)* across the Midland District Health Board’s region.

The GPs and nurses believe that the opportunity exists through greater cooperation and sharing for the PHOs to free up funds by reducing the duplication of administration and backroom support services.

The Chairman of Pinnacle, Dr Frank Cullen, said that Pinnacle was seeking to improve both the ‘quantity and quality’ of healthcare provided from current funding.

“In part, our initiative is in response to the Government’s challenge to the health sector to increase the level of health services delivered to the public for the same level of funding.

“Within this review process, we are committed to increasing health services in each PHO area.”

Dr Cullen said that good progress was being made with the PHOs and other shareholders in Gisborne, Taupo, Taranaki and Kawerau. However, discussions with Waikato Primary Health had stalled.

“This review is too important to primary health to be held up by patch protection, and to ensure WPH is included in the review process Pinnacle has exercised its governance responsibilities,” said Dr Cullen.

“The board of WPH has been dissolved, and a new board with an independent chairman is being appointed.

“Given the way PHOs were originally set up, each PHO developed its own stand alone governance, management and administration units, and each of these eats into the funds that might otherwise go towards frontline medical and health services.

“We are exploring ways to eliminate or reduce some of the duplication through sharing experiences, learnings, expertise, systems and processes.

“The present primary health sector is complicated, has many structures, with a great deal of funding going into non medical services.”

Dr Cullen said the aim was to complete the consultations and have resolved a way forward during the next few months.

*The five PHOs are Kawerau PHO, Lake Taupo PHO, Peak Health Taranaki, Turanganui PHO and Waikato Primary Health.

ENDS

© Scoop Media