Staff reporters
North Coast Medicare Locals (NCML) are claiming qualified approval from their patients following the release of the first Healthy Communities report from the National Health Performance Authority yesterday.
But an early priority for the new organisation will be working to improve the availability of after hours GP care.
The report, albeit of a limited sample size (27,000 people surveyed across 61 Medicare Local regions), looked at the availability and quality of GP care across the region and how patients feel about their doctor.
On the positive side, the survey indicated that: 84 per cent of north coast residents saw a GP in the previous 12 months and 89 per cent felt their GP always or often listened carefully to them.
However 19 per cent of people felt they waited longer than acceptable for a GP appointment; eight per cent delayed or did not see a GP due to cost barriers; and the number of GP after hours attendances per person was 0.12, which is considered low.
NCML’s CEO Vahid Saberi described the results for the north coast as ‘encouraging’.
‘It is pleasing to see that 84 per cent of those surveyed said they viewed their health as excellent, very good or good, and the same percentage on the north coast said they had a preferred GP. The average number of GP attendances on the north coast during 2011–12 was six visits.
‘It’s encouraging to see that as a region with patients with a high degree of socioeconomic disadvantage, an aged population with many over 65 and a high percentage of chronic disease, our GPs are meeting the challenge and our community enjoys good general practice care,’ said Mr Saberi.
NCML’s clinical adviser, Dr Dan Ewald, said the report seems to indicate that north coast GPs spend more time with their patients than those in other comparable regions, and are diligent in working with their patients to provide appropriate health care management plans for chronic disease and mental health difficulties.
Dr Ewald said that North Coast Medicare Local was working hard to keep people well and out of hospital and that general practice was at the core of this care model, working as a team with allied health practitioners and community health services.
‘This report provides NCML with important baseline information to work from and improve north coast health outcomes. We will be talking to GPs to acknowledge the good work they are doing and devise ways to do things even better.
‘One of NCML’s priorities is working to provide more after hours GP services for the community, especially in areas where there are no services currently,’ Dr Ewald said.