As part of a refocus of rural primary health programs, the Australian Government consolidated four previously separate primary and allied health programs, including the More Allied Health Services (MAHS) program into the Rural Primary Health Services (RPHS) program from 2010.
The RPHS program focusses on increasing access to a range of primary and allied health care services and activities for rural and remote communities, in particular, small and more remote communities and targets community identified health needs.
The Aim of the RPHS program is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in rural and remote Australia.
The Objectives of the RPHS program are to:
- Provide and maintain access to supplementary allied health and primary care services that are based on identified health needs in each community.
- Promote coordinated, multi-disciplinary team based approaches to the provision of integrated primary health care services.
- Establish and maintain effective community consultation practices for the planning, management, flexible delivery and ongoing review of the RPHS program.
- Provide and maintain access to relevant health promotion and preventative health programs and activities designed to promote health and wellbeing.
- Encourage people in rural and remote Australia to adopt or modify behaviours to better manage their health and wellbeing.
The local model of service delivery represents a collaborative partnership between Murray-Plains as fund holder and a number of other agencies as employer and service provider. Services are provided to clients referred by local general practitioners and others at appropriate premises in various towns across the area. Services include assessments, intake and referral; case management; individual and group activity; and participation in case conferences and care planning sessions with General Practitioners.
For more information on RPHS please contact Angela Boal, Program Services Manager.
