Welcome to Lower Murray Medicare Local
Through National Health Reform, the Australian Government is aiming to shift the centre of gravity of the health system from hospitals to primary health care.
A strong primary health care system is essential to providing patients with the health care they need when and where they need it, to help patients manage their health conditions in the community and prevent disease.
Medicare Locals are primary health care organisations, established to coordinate primary health care delivery and tackle local care needs and service gaps. They will work with general practice, allied health and community health care providers to drive improvements and greater integration in primary health care and ensure that services are better tailored to meet the local communities.
Medicare Locals will have a number of key roles in improving primary health care services for local communities.
They will:
- Make it easier for patients to access the services they need, by linking local GPs, nursing and other health professionals, hospitals and aged care, and maintaining up to date local service directory information;
- Work closely with Local Hospital Networks to make sure that primary health care services and hospitals work well together for their patients;
- Plan and support local after hours face-to-face GP services;
- Support the implementation of initiatives that improve the prevention and management of disease in general practice and primary health care;
- Identify where local communities are missing out on services they might need and coordinate services to address those gaps;
- Support local primary care providers, such as GPs, practice nurses and allied health providers, to adopt and meet quality standards, and
- Be accountable to local communities to make sure services are effective and of high quality.
