Meeting Overview
Three new members were welcomed to the group.
While the main purpose of the meeting was to set the agenda and approach for the year ahead, HRG’s origins, purpose and impact were also discussed throughout the evening. It was suggested that as an unincorporated, unaffiliated group of mostly senior clinicians, academics and community members operating under the Chatham House Rule, HRG occupied a unique position in being able to address healthcare policy issues from perspectives not generally represented by existing institutional (vs. patient, community or national) structures. On this basis, HRG could consider judging its success by its ability to introduce important and previously unrepresented issues to policy makers and the broader public discourse, in addition to its ability to influence and effect measurable system change.
Policy Focus Areas / Policy Engine
The group discussed a range of policy focus areas to direct its energies towards over the coming year and how it might add structure (i.e a policy engine) to its approach. With respect to operationalising this, it was broadly agreed that nominated policy leads (see table below) would develop practical, concise, achievable draft policy positions (2 page maximum) with anyone wishing to contribute to a particular focus area doing so by contacting the respective lead(s). Once endorsed by the group, a position paper would be submitted for publication to online platform such as John Menadue’s (a former HRG member) Pearls and Irritations, in addition to the HRG website.
|
Focus Area |
Lead(s) | Context |
| Healthcare Workforce (Scope, Distribution, Supply) | MaryC/JohnB | Cormack Review
|
| Oral Health | HeikoS/LesleyR | Lesley Russell interview on Radio National’s Health Report Jan’24
Heiko’s Draft Public Statement
|
| Community Health Centres | TonyB | TonyB’s 2004 Paper on General Community Care
Victorian Health Association Summary
|
| Integrated Care | RossK/ClareS | RossK’s Newcastle Herald OpEd
JAMA 2024 Fragmented Care Paper
|
| Healthcare Workforce (Personal Health and Resilience) | JonP | |
| Policy Disinvestment | DonnaW |
|
| Acute Mental Healthcare | BenjaminV | JAMA 2024 Youth Mental Health Paper
Mental Health In Primary School
|
| Birthing and Midwifery | JillW | NSW Birthing Blueprint
|
| Healthspan Alignment | PaulN | Framing Notes
2023 AIHW Burden of Disease Study 2024 Singaporean Health Policy Frame 2022 Nicholas Catchlove Lecture on Healthspan
|
Guest Suggestions
It was agreed that we would continue to invite guests working in important, relevant domains to speak with the group, with the stated intent being that we can either further the guests’ ambitions, and/or that the guests can further HRG’s ambitions. The current short list would be approached by members with direct ways of making contact, ideally to speak on one of the dates offered below.
- Mark Cormack (workforce review)
- Mick Reid (workforce review)
- Michael Kidd (primary care reform)
- Michelle Dixon (indigenous health)
- Zali Steggall (how to effect change)
- Mike Freelander (how to effect change)
- Blair Comley (health department update)
- Maria Fiatarone Singh, Luigi Fontana (healthspan expansion)
- Margaret Faux, Adele Ferguson (healthcare misbehaviour)
Actions
- Policy Focus Leads to develop concise, achievable draft Position Papers no longer than 2 pages
2 PN to invite Mark Cormack and Mick Reid to next meeting to discuss their workforce reviews - PN to invite David Peiris to HRG
- Invite allied health professionals to join the group
- invite early- and mid-career clinicians, academics and community members
- Set dates for five 2024 meetings (subject to change, guest availability etc.)
7pm, Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
7pm, Wednesday May 29, 2024
7pm, Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
7pm, Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
7pm, Wednesday Nov 27, 2024
7 AndrewW to share JAMA paper on fragmented care, Cormack review paper