The next 12 months are crucial for rural health reform and advocacy with a government that has an appetite for and belief in change, writes Susi Tegen, Chief Executive of the National Rural Health Alliance, in an article for Rural Health Pro.
She adds that ‘It will be important to advocate for short-, medium- and long-term change, as it is well and truly overdue.’
Ms Tegen also calls on the government to implement a National Rural Health Strategy, without which, she says, ‘there is no way of knowing the benchmark to aim for better or to monitor our progress.’
Ms Tegen says that the Alliance has been focused on seeking government support for initiatives to drive meaningful change for rural Australians, adding that ‘tinkering around the edges’ shows a lack of commitment to the people on the ground.