The Impact of Government Policy - Research Paper Example

Critical Analysis On The Impact Of Government Policy TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 3 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................... 4 2.0 Purpose of the Report.................................................................................................... 4 3.0 Background Information................................................................................................ 4 4.0 Definitions...................................................................................................................... 5 5.0 Scope of the Report........................................................................................................ 6 6.0 Impact of Government Funding Policies on the Health Workforce Working with the Indigenous Communities............................................................................................ 6 7.0 Methods of Data Collection.............................................................................................. 9 8.0 Findings............................................................................................................................. 9 8.1 Organisational Approach to Human Resource Planning and Management.......... 9 8.2 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current Staffing Strategy............................... 10 9.0 Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 10 References Executive Summary Economic prosperity depends on the health levels of a nation’s population whereas economic development depends on the equitable distribution of the health services. Irrespective of this benefit, the achievement of equitable distribution of health services faces a number of challenges that negatively impact on the quality of the available health services. Populations living in urban centres are able to access affordable health services compared to individuals living in remote regions. The major contributory factor to this trend is the formulation of government policies that simply ignore the rural populations. These discriminatory policies have resulted into high mortality rates among the rural populations in comparison to the urban populations. This report seeks to assess the success of the health responsibility policy in the hands of the federal government. As the nation’s executive body, the federal government will ensure the equitable distribution of health services and workers across Australia. Additionally, the government will develop a training curriculum that will ensure that the health workers are equipped with sufficient skills and knowledge to ensure the delivery of quality health services. Information for this analysis is gathered from secondary sources such as committee reports that were specifically assigned to look into the impact of the health policy. From the analysis, the policy positively impacts on the health worker’s principles as identified by the Australian Health Work Force Officials Committee. 1.0 Introduction Policies set at the national administration level directly impact on the delivery and accessibility of health services within a nation. This impact depends highly on the practical execution and implementation of the formulated policies. The Department of Health and Ageing1 reports that, public health reforms should focus primarily on preventive care, workforce reform, enhanced governance and application of information technologies and increased community involvement. Towards the completion of this report, qualitative data will be gathered from primary sources to ensure its integrity. Additionally, qualitative data will be used to assess the suitability of the medical services provided across the nation. 2.0 Purpose of the Report This report seeks to emancipate the reader on the policy development process and how it can be improved by critically analysing the impact of a national healthcare policy on healthcare reform and workforce. This analysis will identify the shortcomings of the established process, limitations, its actual execution and possible improvements. 3.0 Background Information The Armidale & District Services Inc. (ADSI) is a medical service provider that provides medical services to the indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population that have been negatively impacted by decades of poor policy formulation by the Australian government. The health provider specialises in enhancing the access of controlled medical services that include dental and welfare services to the Aboriginal people2. Established in 1990, the health facility has increasingly played an important role in the provision of health services to the indigenous population through national and international partnerships. The ADSI operates four major health facilities3 namely:- 1. The mobile dental clinic and 2. The Aboriginal medical service 3. Mental Health and Counselling 4. Aboriginal Counsellor Training These facilities are located in the New England/North West region where the health provider conducts its operations. The health service provider currently employs 30 professionally qualified staff assisted by lowly-qualified support staff. Objectively, the health provider seeks to enhance the accessibility of health services to the aboriginal population that face discrimination from the government’s health policies4. The achievement of this objective is tandem to the ever growing aboriginal population whereby 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 215. 4.0 Definitions Policy - refers to the standard operating procedures that are developed by the major stakeholders in the health sector aimed at improving social health care within the nation6. Healthcare Reform – refers to the process of changing the existing policies that have proved to be unfruitful in the quest for quality health care services7. Healthcare Workforce- this term refers to the human capital with relevant skill and knowledge required to enhance the delivery of quality health care services8. 5.0 Scope and Focus of the Report This report seeks to solely analyse the impact of the funding policy change by the government on the health workforce of the health service providers working with the indigenous populations. The report will also provide suggestions on how the policy could be amended to suit the needs of such health providers and enhance the accessibility of health services to these populations. 6.0 Impact of Government Funding Policies on the Health Workforce Working with the Indigenous Communities A large proportion of the Australian population reside in urban centres and largely influence the government’s policy formulation process. The indegenous populations receive medical services from health providers that are largely funded by non-governmental organisations. However, with the new government policy that requires the federal government to oversee and fund the operations of all primary health providers will provide additional support for these health facilities9. Using the provided Impact Assessment Tool, this report will seek to analyse the impact of the policy on the health workforce. 1. Increased funding will enable the health providers to hire more personnel as well as offer competitive remuneration packages10. Resultantly, this policy will resultantly increase the supply of labour to the health facilities. At present, there is a shortage in the number of the health workers serving the indigenous communities. With additional funds, the health facilities have the capacity to hire additional workers on a short term basis and permanently employ them later. 2. With the federal government assuming control over all primary health facilities and activities, equitable distribution of health workers will be enhanced. Equitable distribution of health workers enhances the accessibility of health services for majority of the population11. Towards encouraging health workers to accept opportunities for working in remote regions, the federal government ought to provide incentives for these workers. However, in the distribution of health workers, the government should focus on the worker’s experience and expertise to ensure quality healthcare across the regions. 3. Upon the implementation of this policy, the federal government ought to undertake renovations on the existing health facilities across the nation. This seeks to increase the health worker’s willingness to work in these facilities irrespective of their physical locations. However, during the deployment exercise, the government should seek to ensure workplace flexibility to enable the workers meet their life stage needs12. On the other hand, the government should seek to enhance cooperation between the health workforce and the local inhabitants to ensure the delivery of quality medical services. The community workers and the general practitioners should harmonise the operations of the health facility to enhance this cooperation. 4. By having a single control over the health workforce, the identification of the training needs required by the workforce is made possible. The federal government acts as a bridge between the population health needs and the supply of these needs through the formulation of policies. To enhance the capacity of the workforce to meet the population’s health needs; cohesive action among the stakeholders in necessary to equip the health workers with the required knowledge and skills13. The federal government will be able to integrate the training needs of the health workers in the education curricula and hence an increase in the number of skilled health workers. However, the inclusion of these basic competencies and knowledge in the curricula should be discussed at both the local and national levels. 5. The creation of new health workforce roles will enhance equality in the delivery of quality health services to the entire population without any form of discrimination. With information on the current health needs of the population, the federal government is in a position to conduct a job redesign process that generates health roles expansion and specialisation14. The process will seek to address the health needs, ensure the sustainability of the health practices and equip the health workers with the required competences to ensure positive health outcomes. 6. The new policy focuses on the interests of the population which is the main aim of government policies. If health care is left in the hands of private organisations, health care services will only be accessible to the wealthy hence increasing the mortality rates. The federal government will be able to disseminate adequate health information, undertake appropriate distribution of the workforce and continually improve the health worker’s capabilities15. 7.0 Methods of Data Collection The information used in the completion of this report was acquired from credible secondary sources that include government commission reports into the controversial health reform policies. Firstly, the researcher gathered the necessary material from the internet and other health journals, read through them and identified crucial information that will assist them in writing the report. As an objective report, the researcher was interested in figures and facts of the indigenous populations in Australia and their accessibility to health services. Thereafter, the researcher analysed the impact of the new policy on the workforce working with these populations. 8.0 Findings 8.1 Organisational Approach to Human Resource Planning and Management The organisation’s approach to staffing involves cooperating with the locals in providing the health services. The local inhabitants undergo basic training that enables them undertake their duties although unprofessionally. However, the ADSI should highlight to the federal government on its various services offered to the local aboriginal population. This will enable the government identify the necessary expertise required for the organisation to fully achieve its health objectives. 8.2 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current Staffing Strategy The current organisational staffs are equipped with minimum skills and competencies that do not enable them identify acute health conditions that have no physical symptoms. Due to this, the current workforce is not able to deliver quality healthcare services. The skilled health workers are overstretched due to the large population requiring the facilities medical services. However, the organisation seeks to reduce the unemployment rates by providing majority of the local population with job opportunities and tackle poverty. 9.0 Conclusion With the implementation of the newly formulated policy, health facilities especially those that serve populations in remote locations will benefit from the increased resource allocation. The increased resource allocation will be provided in terms of funding and skilled labour with the required expertise. Additionally, the policy will positively impact on the seven principles outlined in the Health Workforce Impact Checklist. Due to this effect, the policy can be termed as a productive policy and should be implemented. References Aust. Instt of Health & Welfare. Australia’s Health Report 2008. AIHW, Canberra, 2009. Armidale & District Serv. Inc. Accessed from < http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CBYQFjAD &url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdi.gov.au%2Fsubmissions%2F310- ArmidaleDistrictServicesInc.doc&rct=j&q=health+facilities+serving+australia%27s +indigenous+population&ei=3qSkS- mBGsqOkQWqq623CA&usg=AFQjCNFUSrJb9FtsygPDZWgMyD-8NIl86A > on Mar.20, 2010 Aust. Health Wrkforce Officials Committee. Health Wrkforce Impact Checklist & Guidelines. Accessed from < http://www.nhwt.gov.au/documents/Publications/2006/Health%20workforce%20im pact%20checklist.pdf > on March 20, 2010. AHCRA. Improving the Australian Healthcare Agreements. 2008. Barraclough, Simon & Gardner, Healther. Analysing Health Policy: A Prob. Oriented Approach. Elsevier Aus, Adelaide, 2007. Buchan, James. Skill Mix in the Health Care Wrkforce: Reveiwing the Evidence. Bulletin of the WHO, 2002. Briscoe, Gordon. Counting, Health & Identity: A History of Aboriginal Health & Demography in Western Australia & Queensland, 1900-1940. Aboriginal Studies Prss, Brisbane, 2003. Dept. of Health & Ageing. Building a 21st Century Primary Healthcare Sys: A Draft of Australia’a First National Primary Healthcare Strategy. Australian Govt, 2009. Dept. of Health & Ageing. Primary Healthcare Reform In Australia: Rprt to Support Australia’s 1st National Primary Healthcare Strategy. Dept. Of Health & Ageing, Canberra, 2009. Accessed from < http://www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/content/nphc- draftreportsupp-toc > on March 20, 2010. DHS. Hospital & Health Workforce Reform. Victorian Govt, 2009. Dugdale, Paul. Doing Health Policy in Aus. Allen & Unwin, Boston, 2008. Evans, Frank, Han, S Gil & Madison, Jeanne. Healthcare Reform & Interest Grps: The Case of Rural Australia. Univ. Press of America, Washington, 2006. John, Brumby. Next Steps in Australian Health Reform. 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