The health reforms seem to be getting watered down left, right and centre. Primary health care reform that looked so promising with the GP Super Clinic policy (itself seemingly diluted) has been severely diminished by a lack of understanding of the potential for preventative health care and the funding streams that could facilitate this, and also by poor bureaucratic selection of sites.

GP groups are intent on maintaining the same structures that have failed us (Over 50% of our adult population are at increased risk of chronic disease because they are overweight or obese. 32% of the burden of care is potentially preventable by changes to lifestyle).

The implementation of Medicare Locals is also flawed. Whoever had the bright idea of giving divisions of general practice the lead role in forming Medicare Locals? It's like asking drug addicts to set our drug policy. Most GPs simply don't understand health. They fail to understand the difference between health care and medical care (or maybe its the difference between general practice and primary health care). But they still expect to dominate the governance of the MLs.

Sadly there is too much focus on hospitals in our health "system" - they are symbols of the failure of primary health care. Only the easiest bits (like waiting lists) are measured and concentrated on. Only super-medicine with very high level (and cost) procedures being publicised.

Patients will certainly be short changed by our conservative and narrowly focused clinical representatives. The sooner our health governance structures become more balanced and outcome focused the better.

Dear JohnWellness
I think that a smart thing to do for Australians, it to furnish them with a Medical History card, which stores their ailments no matter which GP, Hospital or Medical Centre they attend. Today we see many Hospital Deaths which should not have occurred. If anyone,since birth, can carry around with them their Medical history, maybe the seemingly wrong diagnoses could perhaps be avoided. In the world of Aviation, every aircraft has a log book, every nut, screw or bolt et.al which has been removed/replaced, every hour flown, every engine, oil change is recorded on both the Maintenance sheet, and in the log book, if Humans could enjoy a similar (biological) approach by GP et.al, I think we would all be better off if we could 'present' our medical history on a microchipped card or something similar.
NSB

Noisy Scrub Bird

I totally agree that we should have a totally integrated health record across all health (not just medical) practitioners. But I think we should go further.

The system should be web-based (with tight security provisions) so that any relevant health practitioner can pick up that information whenever required (I don't carry cards with me when I go out to exercise for example) and lots of people will lose their cards. The patient should have ready access to their own record and be able to add relevant data (e.g. home blood glucose monitoring, their weight and exercise measures) themselves.

There should be a mechanism for access to records if the patient is unable to approve access (e.g. if they are unconscious) such as approval by a next of kin and/or a patient-selected GP.

JohnWellness
I forgot to say that the Log Book of the aircraft stays with the aircraft when it changes hands,(or is kept with the current maintenance organisation) ensuring a continuity of maintenance done. Would that that would happen within the hallowed halls of the Medical Profession.
NSB