Rival health option fails to convince review panel

Murray Tilyard
Murray Tilyard
A bid to set up a rival primary health organisation (PHO) in the South has failed.

Led by GP and Dunedin health entrepreneur Prof Murray Tilyard, the Southern Clinical Network (SCN) said it could save the sector millions of dollars by setting up systems to allow GPs to work more efficiently.

But a specially convened panel to advise the Southern District Health Board said it risked destabilising an already ''fragile'' GP sector.

A review paper released yesterday also takes a swipe at SCN, saying it had ''not demonstrated its commitment to alliance working'' partly because another organisation associated with Prof Tilyard had developed software aimed at GPs.

That was seen as rivalling software pushed by the existing PHO, WellSouth.

The panel took issue with Cromwell Medical Centre, an SCN member, for opposing a recent rural funding shake up. Last month, the centre expressed concern the changes could affect access to after hours care for Cromwell residents.

''Despite repeated attempts to engage the practice earlier this year in discussions about a proposed new framework for rural funding the practice refused to engage in the process and then challenged the outcome of a vote which saw more than 75% of rural practices support the new framework,'' the review document said.

There was insufficient evidence to back a claim that a rival PHO would lead transformational change, the review said. ''Reference was made to offering back to the DHB more than $5 million over a five year period.

''The review panel have not seen evidence that SCN have taken into account the need for investment in transformational change and are therefore uneasy about the savings proposition.''

Contacted for comment, Prof Tilyard said he was disappointed the panel hearing the application had not raised some of the main issues aired in the review document.

Prof Tilyard said the Cromwell practice had a right to speak out on a matter of public interest.

The decision was delegated to Jenny Black, chairwoman of Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, because Southern District Health Board commissioner Kathy Grant and deputy commissioners Richard Thomson and Graham Crombie had declared potential conflicts of interest.

Ms Black was advised by a review panel comprised of Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks; Dr Damian Tomic, of Waikato District Health Board; Keriana Brooking, of the Ministry of Health, and Sandra Boardman, of Southern DHB.

Prof Tilyard's network has 57 member practices, covering more than 191,000 southern patients, but because it is not registered as a PHO, it cannot directly access public funds.

Prof Tilyard had hoped that a significant portion of SCN practices would have joined the rival PHO.

-eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

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