{"id":68085,"date":"2014-05-19T12:32:22","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T02:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=68085"},"modified":"2020-11-30T15:58:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T05:58:55","slug":"axe-falls-on-medicare-locals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/05\/19\/axe-falls-on-medicare-locals\/","title":{"rendered":"Axe Falls On Medicare Locals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Medicare<\/a>
FLASHBACK: DDSWQ Medicare Local staff and Board members celebrate their group’s first year of operations (Photo: DDSWQML)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
DDSWQ Medicare Local CEO Andrew Harvey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 19, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Federal Budget announcement that the 61 Medicare Locals across Australia will be scrapped has been greeted with equanimity by the Darling Downs South West Queensland Medicare Local team.<\/p>\n

“While the announcement has been unsettling for our staff and community, it will not detract from our commitment to support and strengthen primary health care across the Darling Downs, South Burnett and South West Queensland regions,” DDSWQML chairman Dr Graham Baker\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

DDSWQML chief executive officer Andrew Harvey said it was still too soon to see the full ramifications of the announcements made in the Federal Budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re committed to working with the Australian Government to continue to help improve primary health service delivery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Federal Government announced in the recent Budget that Primary Health Networks (PHNs) would be established with a mandate “to provide better access, coordination and delivery in primary health care” from July 1, 2015.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Baker and Mr Harvey\u00a0said they were proud of the achievements of the DDSWQML, which was only set up two years ago.<\/p>\n

“In this relatively short period we have built strong partnerships with hospital and health services and local councils, as well as many other organisations,” Dr Baker said.<\/p>\n

Some of the highlights include: <\/strong><\/p>\n