The Government is a step closer to establishing Integrated Family Health Centres (IFHCs) after appointing nine health care provider groups to create them, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
The IFHCs were a National election policy and were intended to provide a full range of services, including specialist assessments by GPs and minor surgery.
Today, Mr Ryall said the Ministry of Health received more than 70 applications and nine were chosen to move onto the next stage of primary health care development.The proposals included some Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) merging, which would mean "more resources moving to the frontline", Mr Ryall said.
"IFHCs enable people to go to one location and, for example, see a physiotherapist, have a first specialist assessment, or visit a pharmacy for their prescription, even have minor surgery -- all in the same building."They would also have more nurse-led services, multi-disciplinary teams and greater cooperation with hospitals, Mr Ryall said.
The Government would provide a $500,000 fund to match money spent on feasibility studies and to support small practices consolidating into IFHCs."We need to keep New Zealanders well and out of hospital and we need to make the system work better," Mr Ryall said.
The nine successful applicants have until February to develop business cases.Approved business cases will then move to implementation.
The groups involved were:- Canterbury Clinical Network -- a consortium covering 500,000 people.
- Greater Auckland Integrated Health Network -- a consortium of 274 general practices, 11 PHOs and three DHBs covering a million Aucklanders.
- Health + Alliance PHO -- three Pacific PHOs with 17 clinics.
- Kawerau PHO -- all three Eastern Bay of Plenty PHOs.
- MidCentral PHOs -- all four MidCentral PHOs.
- Midland Network -- 11 providers from Taranaki, Waikato, Tairawhiti and Lakes districts covering about 500,000 people.
- National Maori PHO Coalition -- 11 PHOs from around the North Island.
- Wairarapa Community PHO -- a partnership of Wairarapa organisations.
- West Coast PHO.
