Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health has joined with Victoria’s 24 independent registered community health services to launch ‘Strengthening Victoria’s Health System Through Community Health’.
A number of Community Health First CEOs met with Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP, and the Secretary of the Department of Health, Professor Euan Wallace to present the position paper.
The paper outlines five key priority areas in addressing the challenges our health system is currently facing.
The paper reaffirms the collective view of all registered community health services that Victoria’s current healthcare system needs to be boldly reimagined to:
- Deliver the right care, in the right place and at the right time by investing in accessible, quality services that treat people within their communities and joining up fragmented services into a coherent and cost-effective system.
- Focus on health not illness by restructuring the health system to drive person-centred, holistic, and preventative care.
- Reduce health inequity and improve outcomes by investing in evidence-based models that reach the most vulnerable and address the underlying social determinants of health.
From fires and floods to most recently playing a critical role in the state’s response to COVID-19, community health services have been on the front-line for the past 50 years responding to the needs of Victorian communities. Community health services see firsthand the challenges that Victoria’s healthcare system is facing, and, for this reason, are well placed to pinpoint areas that must change. From increasing healthcare costs, sustained pressure on emergency departments and ambulance services, rising costs of living, and consistently increasing rates of chronic disease in our communities, Victoria’s healthcare system needs urgent rethinking to ensure Victorians can access the appropriate care, when and where they need it.
To read the full position paper click here.
