Rudd Govt delivers on local health services

The Federal Government has claimed that a new GP ‘super clinic’ at Dutton Park, will deliver more bulk billing services and better health care for people on the southside.

Announced last month by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (pictured) and Health Minister Nicola Roxon at the Mater Hospital, the Government has signed a $7.5 million funding agreement with the University of Queensland (UQ).

UQ will team up with Mater Health Services and Medihealth Meadowbrook to establish the GP Super Clinic under a ‘hub and spoke’ model.

Super Clinic hubs will be set up at Dutton Park and Logan with complementary ‘satellite sites’ elsewhere on the southside.

The Brisbane Southside GP Super Clinic will provide integrated, team-based health care tailored to the needs of a growing, local community.

The Super Clinic hubs will provide three distinct streams:

• chronic disease management services;
• mental health services; and
• musculoskeletal pain and palliative care services.

The Super Clinic will be located at the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence, adjacent to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a modern, purpose built facility for the provision of health services, high quality research and education.

The announcement delivers a key Labor election commitment to establish a GP super clinic on Brisbane’s southside.

The GP Super Clinics will be a key part of the Government's agenda for improving Australia's health care system. As part of the Government's health reforms to date, $275 million has been allocated over five years, from 2007-08, to establish 36 GP Super Clinics around the nation.

(Originally published December 2009)