cohealth’s contribution to the Independent Review into General Practice Services

cohealth is today publishing summaries of its two submissions to the Independent Review into General Practice services in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington.

The submissions bring together what cohealth knows from delivering specialist General Practice care to people with complex health and social needs, alongside what clients and community members shared through the Your Voice Matters survey and community events.

Many people who access care at cohealth live with multiple health conditions, mental health challenges and the impacts of trauma, unstable housing or financial stress. They often require longer appointments, coordinated care and support that extends beyond a standard consultation and care that is local, culturally safe and trusted.

The submissions highlight how deeply valued this type of care is and the importance of ensuring it continues in a way that is safe, accessible and sustainable.

They also identify a key challenge: the current funding model for primary care does not adequately support the time, coordination and multidisciplinary care required for people with complex needs.

cohealth has provided detailed evidence to the Review about the realities of delivering specialist General Practice care within this funding environment, alongside eight recommendations informed by client experience, clinician expertise and national reform evidence.

These recommendations focus on ensuring funding better reflects the care required by people with complex needs, supporting team-based care, enabling clinicians to work to the top of their scope, and investing in the infrastructure community health services require.

cohealth acknowledges that the organisation could have engaged earlier and more effectively with community, staff and government when the original closure decision was announced. Publishing these summaries is part of a commitment to greater transparency and to ensuring community voices continue to inform significant decisions.

cohealth will continue to support clients while the Independent Review process continues and Government considers its response and remains open to working constructively with both State and Federal governments on sustainable solutions for specialist General Practice care.

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more information: media@cohealth.org.au

About cohealth: cohealth is a not-for-profit community health organisation that provides low-cost and free local health and support services including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, and many specialist health services in Melbourne’s CBD, inner-north and inner-west, and the east coast of Tasmania (Bicheno and Triabunna).