Healthcare service providers experience particular challenges in order to provide community services in remote and rural areas. The cost of providing services are higher (availability and affordability of suitable premises, travel time/ costs for staff). There are opportunities to consider different ways of working, This requires changing traditional healthcare roles and shifting the balance away from secondary / acute care. There also needs to be acceptance that to deliver local in remote and rural communities requires additional time and resource. However, the socioeconomic benefits to the population both locally and nationally from maintaining remote and rural communities are considerable. The model of healthcare delivery is monolithic and very much driven by a metropolitan health design. Rural healthcare may be better delivered through a hub-and-spokes model or hot-and-cold site partnerships, with primary and community care much more developed to provide universal basic health and preventative services.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation