THE chair of the regional health services inquiry has told state parliament there is “no silver bullet” to solve all the issues involved in country health.
Social Development Committee chair and Legislative Council member Gail Gago detailed the findings of the committee to the Upper House in the first sitting since the document’s August release.
The wide ranging recommendations include greater collaboration between health advisory councils (HACs) and bureaucracy in financial, decision making and communication matters.
Ms Gago said of the 22 HACs that responded to the inquiry, the majority experienced “continued frustration with the governance arrangements” and are either unaware or unable to use the full scope of the functions provided to them under the Act.
“The committee noted that some HACs are functioning well as healthcare advocates and raising funds and some have excellent relationships with their individual regional directors,” she said.
“Others told the committee they struggled with their role and did not feel there were clear lines of access to Country Health executive staff.
“These problems appear to have developed out of the deficiencies in communication and lack of collaborative approaches between Country Health SA and HACs over a long period of time.”
Ms Gago said since the committee found health advisory councils were “generally ineffective”, Country Health SA had attempted to raise the profile of HACs and encourage community members to engage with local health networks.
“While there is still more work to do, some of these goals have been met,” she said.
“For example, the Country Health SA strategic plan and consumer engagement have been completed and implemented.”
Ms Gago said the committee recommended Country Health SA develop guidelines to include HACs in budget discussions, the hiring of staff and in the recognition of core policy documents.
“For this system to be fair and equitable, the bureaucracy needs to continue to improve the way it includes these communities in important discussions about the healthcare system and how it is planned and governed,” she said.
“The report provides recommendations to garner potential for more extensive collaboration between Country Health and HACs and their local communities.
“It recommends a partnering approach and provides suggestions for HACs to continue expanding the functions and capabilities of their role in accordance with the Act.”
