Page 2310 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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Having provided you with some background to this exciting and innovative program, Mr Speaker, I would now like to give you a more detailed picture of the national better health program and what it will mean for the ACT. In March 1989 national project planning teams were set up for each of the five priority areas, consisting of a number of experts and those with practical experience in the various fields. There was also representation from the Commonwealth Department of Community Services and Health and the Australian Institute of Health. A member of the management committee provided program oversight.
Their task was to produce broad strategies and an outline of priority projects, within the parameters set out. They were to consider such issues as inequities in health status, relevant risk factors, community participation mechanisms and workplace requirements. The reports were delivered in July this year and contained a wide range of programs within the five areas. They also attempted to encourage ongoing structural changes, such as building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills and reorienting health services towards a health promoting focus.
Since then things have moved fairly quickly. The original five reports have been brought together to form the basis of a national strategic plan. It was decided that, given the still relatively small amounts available for the national better health program, a clustered approach of many projects would have a multiplier effect. In other words, rather than developing one project to do with, say, hypertension in a particular community, it would be more effective to combine that project with complementary projects in the areas of nutrition, preventable cancer and the health of the elderly. These "clusters" of projects can then be developed and implemented at three main sites: the community, the workplace and the schools.
At the moment, the Commonwealth secretariat to the national better health program management committee is in the final stages of developing a national strategic plan for the years 1989-90 to 1991-92. It is envisaged that there will be six levels to the overall program.
The first level will be called intervention programs. These will consist of the cluster of projects that will be implemented in conjunction with various communities, workplaces and schools across the country. The next has to do with changes to policy necessary to facilitate health promotion rather than a straight focus on treatment. Then there is the level to do with what we can call structural change. This includes reorienting hospital services towards health promotion and facilitating the development of an adequate primary health care network throughout the country.
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