The following appeared in the Medical Observer today - and I suspect the sentiments will be echoed elsewhere in other articles quite soon.
Tanya Plibersek takes Health reins
12th Dec 2011
A CABINET reshuffle announced this morning is being seen as an opportunity for new Health Minister Tanya Plibersek and the government to back away from the 1 July deadline for the introduction of a personally controlled e-health record (PCEHR).
Former Health Minister Nicola Roxon was promoted to Attorney General in the reshuffle, which was triggered by the resignation of Small Business Minister Nick Sherry.
RACGP president Professor Claire Jackson said Ms Roxon’s contribution over nearly five years had been valuable, but the college would have liked more consultation on some recent decisions.
“Tanya Plibersek comes with a strong record in her previous portfolio and the college looks forward to an early meeting,” Professor Jackson said.
Lots more here:
To be frank I think Ms Roxon was a very poor Health Minister who for apparently ideological reasons drove initiatives which were confusing (Medicare Locals), unnecessary by and large ( GP Superclinics) and utterly lacking any evidence base (the PCEHR Program).
It is also clear from the way many of the so-called reform programs were executed that program implementation was really not a strong suit - not that she is to blame alone for that!
It is also clear from the way many of the so-called reform programs were executed that program implementation was really not a strong suit - not that she is to blame alone for that!
She also managed to really alienate much of the Medical profession by her cuts to the PBS and her failure to properly consult on many matters as reflected in the article above.
Ms Plibersek has a golden opportunity - as I said earlier today - to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in e-Health. I hope she takes it!
David.
2 comments:
Keep an eye on Shane Solomon (just been drafted to break up QLD Health) & Patricia Faulkner (COAG Reform Counicl, whose watchword is "Performance reporting and accountability for national reform"). Both are ex-KPMG (if total severance from Mother is possible) and both were present at Vic Health during for the origination of HealthSmart.
Faulkner is chair of Social Inclusion Board, whose Minister is (was) Plibersek.
The new Minister may not make a move on IT without "consulting" and her first move may well be .... another out-sourced consultancy.
In the interests of accountability & openness & fair play, then, some fearless investigator should follow the money by getting inside DoHA to find out which consultants are tipped to be paid for telling us what we already know.
Trevor
Plibersek has all of the strengths of a feisty high school debater and none of the prerequisites of experience or rational thought for a key role such as Minister for Health. She has done very well to scramble her way up through the union ranks to a position of power and now control of the Government's health cheque book.
God help us!
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