The administrative unit with responsibility for administering health services in a region, area, district or zone, and for developing and implementing strategic and other plans for health service delivery.

An identifier for a Medicare Local.

A Medicare Local is an administrative health region established under the National Health Reform Agreement 2012, responsible for assessing the health needs of the population in a specific region, for identifying gaps in general practitioner (GP) and primary health care services and putting into place strategies to address those gaps.

Medicare Locals drive improvements in primary health care and ensure that services are better tailored to meet the needs of local communities.

Medicare Locals have a number of key roles in improving primary health care services for local communities, by: 

• Making it easier for patients to access the services they need, by linking local GPs, nursing and other health professionals, hospitals and aged care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations, and maintaining up to date local service directories.
• Working closely with Local Hospital Networks to make sure that primary health care services and hospitals work well together for their patients.
• Planning and supporting local after-hours face-to-face GP services.
• Identifying where local communities are missing out on services they might need and coordinating services to address those gaps.
• Supporting local primary care providers, such as GPs, practice nurses and allied health providers, to adopt and meet quality standards.
• Being accountable to local communities to make sure the services are effective and of high quality.

The National Health Reform Agreement 2012:

Council of Australian Governments, Canberra. Viewed 29 April 2013,

http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/
health_reform/national-agreement.pdf