The principal focus of the Group is the development of a network of consumer-centred organisations whose mission is to design, finance and deliver high quality, patient-centred health care which is:

• Grounded in medical evidence

• Organised around populations

• Personalised for individuals 

A strategy workshop on Wednesday 10 August will explore this Patient-Centred Health Care Network model and its development over the next three years. The workshop will sift through options and development strategies in an exploratory form with a strategic orientation. 

The key features of the Network are:

• The creation of an opt-in pool of consumers in each major city and region in Australia, developing consumer-based market power in health care, supported by a national service network providing consolidated systems, purchasing and marketing functions. 

• The membership pool in each city and region is open to any consumer who wants to enhance their health.

• Each membership pool comprises consumers who either join directly, or participating blocs of consumers who join through the affiliation of their organisation. Affiliated organisations retain their identity and ethos within the pool.

• The network seeks to pool funds from various sources (commonwealth and state programs, MBS, PBS, hospital programs, private insurance) for its enrolled memberships. It acts as a single payer in planning and purchasing comprehensive, co-ordinated care. 

• The network facilitates care planning, clinical information systems, and financial system functions, but does not provide in-house service delivery - this is contracted to diverse providers.

• The network partners with a health fund(s) to provide the insurance function - the fund's interest is in partnering with the risk-reduction, lower-hospital-admission, lower-cost strategies of the network.

• The network (PCHCN) has a special interest in the participation of three categories of consumers (and their carers/families) : people with chronic illnesses; disabilities; and mental illnesses.

PCHCN Structure

There are three components to the PCHCN structure:

• Leadership and Governance Panel (comprising individual members, from which the PCHCN Board is drawn).

• Membership Pools (in cities and regions, operated by franchisees)

• Affiliated Organisations (blocs of consumers whose organisations affiliate with a Membership Pool)

PCHCN Membership

You can become a member of PCHCN and shape the development of the network. Membership is available only to individuals for a fee of $55. Members form a Leadership and Governance Panel for the project. CLICK HERE to join.


Strategy Workshop Program

10.00   Welcome and Introductions 

10.15   Health Reform: Breaking the Stalemate - The Leadership Vacuum in Health Care - Elizabeth Lew, Co-ordinated Health Care Australia

10.45  Consumer Market Power - Driving Reform

11.15   PCHCN: Outline of the Model 
           Vern Hughes, Social Enterprise Partnerships

• Care planning
• Funds pooling
• Systems development
• Membership recruitment
• Franchised management of membership pools
• Affiliated blocs of consumers and ethos retention
• Partnerships

11.45   Small group discussion

12.30 – 1.15 Lunch  

1.15    Five consumer categories:  will it work for us? 

• Chronic illnesses
• Disabilities
• Mental illnesses
• Aged
• Rural communities 

2.30    Mobilising Communities:  Organising for Well-being and Illness Prevention

3.00 – 3.15 Afternoon Tea   

3.15    Three year development plan - Leadership and Partnerships  

4.00  Close

REGISTRATION

CLICK HERE to register for the strategy workshop.

EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST IN BETTER HEALTH CARE

CLICK HERE to express your interest in the project and to receive further information.

Expressions of Interest are welcome from consumers, practitioners, service providers, insurers, researchers, health educators, policy makers and social investors.

  DIARY