Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Hansard source

This goes to amendment (7), which talks about the reports prepared by the performance authority, and specifically 'if the report indicates poor performance by any of the following entities or facilities'. While it might be very clear what would constitute poor performance for local hospital networks, public hospitals and private hospitals, I am seeking clarification from the minister as to what would constitute poor performance by a primary healthcare organisation which would be caught in the scope of amendment (7). It seems that while primary healthcare organisations—or, as they have been called, Medicare Locals—have some role in the area of service delivery, in that they are going to be taking responsibility for after-hours care, they will not principally be in the front line of service delivery. The department has assured us that the primary healthcare organisations will not be fund-holding organisations, as we see in similar organisations in the United Kingdom or in New Zealand.

So, given that the scope of the primary healthcare organisations is still a little ill-defined, I am seeking clarification as to what would constitute poor performance by a primary health organisation. Would it be that they are not offering enough continuous professional development? Would it be that they are not holding enough seminars? Would it be that they are not liaising well enough with allied health or practice nurses? I am just seeking clarification from the minister as to what would constitute poor performance by a primary healthcare organisation as is envisaged in amendment (7).

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