Medicare Local staff go as doctors warn of unwieldy network

Health jobs vanish

SEVERAL North Queensland Medicare Local staff will have to find new jobs after the Federal Government’s new regional health system comes into effect tomorrow, with remaining staff on a lifeline until September 30.

As of July 1, Townsville Mackay Medicare Local will revert to its old name of Northern Australia Primary Health Ltd, and will cease co- ordinating services in the region.

Instead, the catchment will be incorporated into the new North Queensland Primary Healthcare Network ( PHN), which also encompasses the former FNQ Medicare Local.

The area from Sarina in the south, north to Thursday Island and west to Richmond will be covered by the same PHN.

TMML was responsible for tackling healthcare needs and service gaps in the North.

For the next three months, the Medicare Local groups, under their new names, will be responsible for delivering frontline medical services under the direction of the PHN.

After that time, a review will determine the most efficient method of service delivery.

TMML chair Dr Kevin Arlett would not reveal the num- ber of staff who had their roles discontinued, but said job losses had been small. Some staff have been moved to other roles.

The PHN will have offices in Townsville, Mackay and its headquarters in Cairns.

A former collective of 61 Medicare Local regions will be condensed into 31 PHNs.

Dr Arlett said the big area covered would be challenging.

“If they were starting from scratch and didn’t work with the previous organisations it would be tough,” he said.

“But with the help from organisations like ours it will make the transition easier.

“We will still be delivering extensive frontline services through this transition period and will participate in all tendering processes aiming to ensure this remains the case after October 1.”

Doctors have sounded a warning the footprint for the Primary Health Network is too large.

North Queensland PHN chair Trent Twomey said the transition would not result in a disruption to services.

“We have been working with primary health providers right across north Queensland to identify what is working well and where there are gaps,” he said.

We have

been working … to identify what is working and where

there are gaps

TRENT TWOMEY