THE future of a regional health partnership remains unclear, despite a last-minute funding reprieve from the state government as a review is undertaken.
Funding and service agreements for statewide Primary Care Partnerships (PCP) were due to be cut by the state government on December 31, however PCPs received a letter last week extending their service until June 30, 2020 while a review is carried out.
The Southern Mallee PCP is one of 28 in Victoria and comprises of the Buloke, Gannawarra and Swan Hill local government areas.
All three municipalities have integrated plans, with more than 19 participating organisations, focussing on healthy eating, active living, preventing family violence and improving mental health.
Southern Mallee PCP chair Bruce Myers said without PCPs there won't be a platform to deliver population and prevention-based health initiatives that involve the community.
"We welcome an open and meaningful review of our work. This will be the first review of PCPs since we were established in 2000 and it's something we have been requesting now for some time," he said.
PCPs statewide chair Kevin Feeney said the Department of Health and Human Services has committed to working with PCPs to plan the way forward, discussing how PCPs can participate in the review, and how PCP program learnings can be captured.
"It is vital for the success of the review that PCPs have an active role in shaping its focus, direction and conduct. One of our great challenges is that the nature of our work is often poorly understood. Victorian PCPs reacted swiftly to government suggestions their work may have been taken over by metropolitan and regional partnerships, Orange Door services and Primary Health Networks," he said.
Child, family and community health executive director Peter Breadon said there are now multiple platforms with similar aims and objectives to the PCP program and a "significant body of evidence of the key pillars to drive effective partnerships and collective impact".
"We need to ensure that Victoria's health system is best placed to meet current and future community needs. This includes having evidence based, integrated and sustainable primary care services," he wrote in a letter to PCP chairs.
"In order to achieve this, the department has commissioned a review of the PCP program model to analyse current functions and outcomes of the PCP program in Victoria and determine the functions of the PCP program that remain relevant amidst a changing service landscape.
"PCP funding will remain unchanged for the 2019-2020 financial year. Funding and service agreements will be extended until June 30, 2020 while the review is undertaken."