Submission
Solution summary
The National Rural Health Alliance (the Alliance) has launched a campaign Let’s build a healthier future for rural Australia comprising three key solutions that will support improved access to healthcare services, especially primary health care services, and help to achieve better health equity for people living in rural areas of Australia.
The Alliance proposes three integrated measures, strengthening the findings and solutions identified in the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report, to be included in the 2025-26 Budget:
- A National Rural Health Strategy under the National Health Reform Agreement to coordinate Commonwealth, State and Territory investment and service delivery, funded through:
- A $1 billion National Rural Health Fund, half for blended or block funding and half for infrastructure, with ongoing funding from the Commonwealth. The Fund would be supported by:
- Rural health capacity and capability building investment through:
- Long term funding of $6.0 million over 4 years and $1.5 million ongoing for the Alliance to work as the enabler and trusted conduit between communities and Governments, and
- Specific funding of $9.7 million over 4 years and $1.6 million ongoing for a Rural Health Innovation and Evidence Hub hosted by the Alliance. The Hub would support real-time learning from rural health systems innovation across Australia through regular forums in rural communities and a strengthened Australian Journal of Rural Health, supported by an IT platform with artificial intelligence integration.
Annual indexation to be added to the above amounts. Detailed costings are provided in Part 3 – Proposed Solutions.