More, not less: Primary Care Connect has joined with 23 primary health care providers to criticise the Victorian Government’s cuts to health promotion, saying more funding, not less, is needed to reduce the costs of health care.
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Rodney Braithwaite
The primary health sector says cuts announced by the Victorian Government will ultimately cost more money in the long-term.
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The Andrews Government said it would cut health promotion funding to rural, regional and metropolitan Community Health services by an average of 10 per cent in the upcoming budget in May.
Primary Care Connect provides health promotion services to the Greater Shepparton, Moira and Strathbogie regions and said the government should be announcing more funding, not less, if it wanted to reduce pressure on the health budget.
“Health promotion is a critical part of community health and is a preventative health measure, which decreases pressure on our health system by preventing disease and critical health problems, such as the problems caused by harmful tobacco smoke, for example,” Primary Care Connect chief executive Tricia Quibell said.
“While PCC will work to minimise impacts of funding cuts, we are greatly concerned that the announcement of any further funding cuts could seriously impact our ability to provide this service to our community moving forward.
“More funding, not less, is critical for community health to continue delivering the proven physical, mental and social health outcomes for our community and on reducing pressure on our hospitals and GPs.”
Concern: Primary Care Connect chief executive Tricia Quibell says she’s greatly concerned government cuts to health promotion could “seriously impact” community health organisations’ ability to prevent disease and critical health outcomes.
Primary Care Connect health promotion includes the Vic Kids Eat Well initiative, as well as attending some of the region’s biggest local events, including the GOTAFE O Week event, and the Converge Festival to interact and engage with, and educate, community members on issues such as the impacts of vaping and tobacco smoking, active living and healthy eating.
It said 70 per cent of disease burden in Australia is attributable to chronic disease, but up to 40 per cent of that burden could be alleviated through health promotion work and preventative measures.
Primary Care Connect, along with 23 other community health organisations in the Community Health First alliance, has urged the Andrews Government to reconsider any cuts.
Community Health First has described the announcement as a “short-sighted decision” that “will ultimately result in increased costs elsewhere in the health system in years to come”.
A spokesperson for Community Health First said health promotion services built health literacy and empowered community members to take control of their health, with evidence showing it reduced the risks of poor health outcomes and the associated costs of poor health.
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe has said she was “appalled” by the cuts and described them as “reckless”.
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