HFA and South Link Health sign $7.37m contract

Dunedin's South Link Health and the Health Funding Authority have signed a contract worth more than $7 million for health care management.

South Link Health represents 295 general practitioners throughout the South Island, including many rural GPs.

Approximately $100,000 of the contract has been set aside for additional initiatives.

HFA spokesperson, Ron Craft, says the HFA had contracted South Link Health to provide many services in previous years, including a terminal care scheme, a green prescription scheme, and management of a budget for the practice nurse subsidy.

"The HFA recognises the value of these services, and so decided to continue purchasing them, and more," Mr Craft says.

Prof. Murray Tilyard, Executive Director of South Link Health, says they will work with the HFA to agree what these new services should be.

"We'll be looking at what the needs of our patients are, and developing programmes around those," Dr Tilyard says.

Mr Craft says the new contract is consistent with other primary health care contracts nationally, but with a local focus.

"The contract allows South Link Health to meet some of the special needs of its patient population," Mr Craft says.

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