Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria

Page contents: Vision | Principles | Directions | Direction 1: Improving the health of rural Victorians | Direction 2: Supporting a contemporary health system | Direction 3: Strengthening and sustaining rural health services | Download document

Released on 30 October 2009, Rural directions–for a stronger healthier Victoria articulates the government’s vision for a high-quality and sustainable rural health system.

Rural directions–for a stronger healthier Victoria, is an update of Rural directions for a better state of health. It provides an opportunity to build on what has already been achieved, outlines the next phase of continuing service development, and acknowledges the major support all health services provide for their rural communities.

Vision

To enhance and protect the health and wellbeing of Victorians living in rural and regional areas by providing a sustainable rural health system that is connected, person focused and provides the right support in the right place.

Principles

Rural health policy directions recognise health care needs are changing and that the system must continue to evolve to better meet those needs. The guiding principles aim to maximise access, quality and continuity of care, service flexibility, opportunities for service substitution and diversion as well as optimal use of all resources.

The principles of rural health system planning, development and provision are:

• A comprehensive health system is about the full continuum of health––from health promotion, illness prevention and management, active treatment of illness or injury, care for the aged and end-of-life care.
• The health system will be person and family centred, with consideration of a person’s needs as these change over time, rather than centred on agencies or programs.
• People will have appropriate access to services and contemporary models of care that are both effective and safe.
• People will be supported to manage and protect their own health.
• Victorians living in rural areas should expect to have the majority of their care needs met by services in their own region.
• A comprehensive service system has services working flexibly and in coordinated partnerships, to benefit communities.
• Health care will be provided in the most appropriate and least complex setting.
• Services should be planned and coordinated within geographical areas to address needs of a broader population.
• High-volume, low-complexity services will be provided as close to home as possible, without compromising the quality of care.
• Low-volume, high-complexity services will be concentrated in key locations to ensure service quality and sustainability.
• Changing models and alternative options for care will increase the need for flexibility in both workforce and physical infrastructure.
• Innovation and planning contribute to an improved, sustainable workforce and service system.
  

Directions

Rural directions–for a stronger healthier Victoria contains three broad directions, with a revised focus to update development priorities.

The three directions are:

• improving the health of rural Victorians
• supporting a contemporary health system
• strengthening and sustaining rural health services.

Each of these directions contains a number of strategies and specific projects. Each strategy will require cooperation between government, health services, professional groups and other stakeholders to achieve success.

Direction 1: Improving the health of rural Victorians

Direction 1 recognises the continuing development of programs and services that aim to improve the health of all Victorians. The health system will be supported and coordinated to provide rural Victorians with access to appropriate high-quality health care in the right place, which is as close to home as possible.

There are a number of clinical program areas where service development is proceeding. While service innovations and developments are usually statewide, it is important they are developed cognisant of the uniqueness of rural settings, so opportunities to benefit from improvements in health services and outcomes are applicable regardless of geographic location. Drivers include the need for more services in rural areas and support for sustaining existing services. In both cases the objective is to improve access to appropriate high-quality services to support population health improvements over time.

Direction 2: Supporting a contemporary health system

The integrated health system in rural Victoria consists of regional, sub-regional and local health services. This provides a contemporary health system that is coordinated, connected, patient focused and committed to appropriate evidence-based care.

Rural directions–for a stronger healthier Victoria details the roles and range of clinical services expected at each level and identifies the role of each agency. This provides clarity for strategic directions and service planning across areas and for each health service.

The challenge for all services is to provide health care as close as possible to where people live, while maintaining sufficient volume to ensure appropriate quality service provision.

A major theme is partnerships and relationships between services to enhance care for rural Victorians. A coordinated system facilitates quality care by supporting patient pathways and access to appropriate care, wherever that is best provided.

Direction 3: Strengthening and sustaining rural health services

Development and support for the integrated and coordinated health system required in rural Victoria will be facilitated through many ongoing initiatives and programs, including those outlined in direction 1.

Direction 3 summarises the other specific projects, programs and developments that will enable the rural health system to continue to develop in a sustainable way over the next five years. To advance policy objectives, three enablers are identified:

• Continuing service enhancement
• Growing workforce capacity
• Improving governance and performance

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Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria (2mb, pdf)*

Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria (644kb, MS Word)

This document is large and so has been made available in multiple sections as below.

Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria: Part 1 (739kb, pdf)
Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria: Part 2 (981kb, pdf)
Rural directions – for a stronger healthier Victoria: Part 3 (944kb, pdf)

Previous publication: Rural directions for a better state of health

Rural directions for a better state of health released November 2005, is the Victorian Government’s previous plan for sustaining a contemporary health system in rural and regional areas.

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