IPA Council Partners With Ministry Of Health

27 November 2001
Immediate release

General practice organisations have struck a “partnership” agreement with the Ministry of Heath, which the Independent Practitioner Association Council of New Zealand (IPAC) says will lead to better health services to communities.

IPAC’s Chief Executive Victor Klap said the agreement was a watershed event.
“This signals that IPAC and the Ministry of Health are determined to work together to plan for, implement and evaluate health sector initiatives,” he said.

“It is also an important recognition that government must include general practice in decision making because that is where most of the primary health services are delivered to the community.

“Faster and better decision making under the agreement would lead to improved use of public health funding, and more services at the coal-face of community health.

“The public want the health sector to work toward the same goals, not to battle with each other,” Mr Klap said.

David Lambie, Deputy Director General Personal and Family Health, Ministry of Health, said:
"The partnership agreement with IPAC acknowledges the role IPAs play in the health sector. IPAC has practical, every day knowledge that can only assist with the development of policy and implementation plans."

The goals of the agreement are:
- Working together at an early stage of Policy Development – Ministry of Health and IPAC will contribute the development of new health care policy, plans and strategies, at an early stage. This ensures that health care planning benefits from the “every day” knowledge and experience of IPAC, especially in primary care and in the interface between primary/secondary care.
- Joint design of new services - IPAC will assist the Ministry of Health to design and, where appropriate, pilot new options for the delivery of primary health care.
ends
IPAC is a national body representing 16 Independent Practitioner Associations (IPAs) which cover 772 community-based practices, attended by some 1,850 GPs and over 2,000 practice nurses. Each year it is estimated two and a half million New Zealanders seek health services and advice from these IPAC member practices.

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