NSW Rural and Remote Health Priority Taskforce
The NSW Rural Health Report (2002) included 18 recommendations and 80 implementation strategies. In response, the Government released the NSW Rural Health Plan (2002) which endorsed the directions recommended in the Report and included a range of initiatives to attract and retain health care professionals, provide certainty about the role of local health services and where possible provide services closer to where people live. The Plan provided $36 million in 2002/03 and $32 million recurrent from 2003/04 for a range of rural initiatives.
The NSW Rural Health Taskforce was established in 2003 to monitor and advise on the implementation of the Report and Plan and, in 2004, it became one of the twelve HPTs providing advice to the Health Care Advisory Council (HCAC), Director General and Minister, specifically on policy directions and service improvements for rural and remote health.
In 2006 consultants undertook a broad review the implementation of the Report and Plan and the impact on rural health service delivery. The final report and HPT recommendations were provided to the Director-General and former Minister. The Minister endorsed the development of a Second NSW Rural Health Plan to build on the achievements of the previous Report and Plan, and to highlight new opportunities.
To assist in the development and monitoring of the implementation of a Second NSW Rural Health Plan, a new Rural and Remote HPT was convened, holding its first meeting in May 2008.
The Rural and Remote HPT will draw on the experience and knowledge of its membership, to work with Area Health Services to meet the challenges of rural health and to succeed in making real improvements.
