p>The quality and co-ordination of primary health care for patients across Ballarat and region is being threatened under plans of the Federal Opposition to ditch the Medicare Locals network.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said the Opposition plan to dump Medicare Locals is further evidence that cutting health funding will be a priority for any future Coalition Government.
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The quality and co-ordination of primary health care for patients across Ballarat and region is being threatened under plans of the Federal Opposition to ditch the Medicare Locals network.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said the Opposition plan to dump Medicare Locals is further evidence that cutting health funding will be a priority for any future Coalition Government.
“This is just how their colleagues in Coalition State Governments across the country have acted. As soon as they get the chance to Govern they slash and burn essential services like health and leave suffering patients stranded,” Ms King said.
The Grampians Medicare Local has been formed as part of a national network and is already leading in specific initiatives to support primary health delivery across the region, including the establishment of a Headspace youth mental health centre in Ballarat.
“The Medicare Local network is showing positive results as we have seen right here in Ballarat and it should continue in the interest of ensuring improved integration of all primary health care,” Ms King said.
“Of all the Medicare Local positions across the country the Opposition will abolish, 70 per cent are health workers.
“The Medicare Local network is not just some vast bureaucracy with people sitting around doing nothing or being totally ineffective as the Opposition would like people to believe.
“It is already achieving results as we have seen right here in our own backyard and it will continue to do so,” Ms King said.
“Even the Australian Medical Association has urged the Coalition not to abolish Medicare Locals just for the sake of it if it happens to win Government.
“This plan to ditch Medicare Locals should serve as a warning to all that important services in the interests of the health and welfare of Australians would be under severe threat at the hands of any future Coalition Government.”