Dear Mr Ryall

Submission "Meeting the Challenge"; Report of the Ministerial Review Group

I am writing to express my support for the recommendations in the above report namely that:

 DHBs be advised that barriers which restrict the ability of GPs to leave or join a PHO should be abolished, and DHBs be advised that new PHOs should be permitted, on condition that:
(i) establishment funding is not provided
(ii) that it is the preference of health care providers, and
(iii) sound corporate governance, sound clinical governance, and effective community participation is demonstrated.

As a healthcare provider of the Mornington PHO I support the work that it does and believe that my ability to influence this work would be severely diminished in a larger PHO particularly if the process of amalgamation or confederation was enforced rather than by choice.

Mornington PHO is an example of where sound corporate governance and clinical governance exist, and effective community participation is evident.

I believe that I must be able to align my practice with a like minded organisation to ensure the best possible health outcomes for my patients and I believe these recommendations if adopted will continue to facilitate that.

Further I would respectfully request that until such time as policy decisions are made resulting from some of the recommendations of this report that DHBs are advised not to make any decisions which go against the intention of this report and in particular terminate contracts of existing PHOs like Mornington.

Yours sincerely

Dr Peter Radue
General Practitioner
Medical Director

Mornington Health Centre
Dunedin