THE board of Murrumbidgee Medicare Local (MML) has resolved to continue to lobby Health Minister Peter Dutton to reconsider the federal government's new Primary Health Network (PHN) proposal, following a meeting on Tuesday night.
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Under the proposal, the 17 Medicare Locals in NSW will be consolidated into nine new PHNs, with the Riverina to be covered by the Western NSW PHN which will span two-thirds of the state.
"As it stands, the Western NSW PHN, with its huge geographical area and diverse population groups and needs, will work against the objectives of the PHN model," MML chief executive Nancye Piercy said.
"In determining the boundaries for the new PHNs, the factors considered included population size, alignment with Local Health Districts, state borders, patient flow, stakeholder input and administrative efficiencies."
However, Mrs Piercy doesn't believe the connection between MML's present area and the other centres in the new Western NSW PHN are strong enough to justify the government's decision.
"There is no patient flow between the Riverina/Murrumbidgee and the western and far western areas of the state, and it is inevitable there will be a loss of connection with communities, medical practitioners, other health professionals and stakeholders," she said.
"We believe there will be a need for multiple community committees and clinical advisory committees to achieve local engagement, which will result in fragmentation and siloing."
Mrs Piercy said she was of the understanding the Far West Medicare Local board had decided to work towards an amalgamation with Western Medicare Local, but they were not supportive of MML's inclusion in the proposed PHN.
MML is encouraging its stakeholders to lobby the federal government to instead establish a smaller Riverina/Murrumbidgee PHN, which is aligned with the borders of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.
Update: An earlier version of this story reported the Far West Medicare Local and Western Medicare Local boards had decided to work towards an amalgamation.
However, only the Far West Medicare Local board has chosen to pursue this avenue at this time.
The Advertiser apologises for this error.