New NSW Government will be good for your health says CSC

Stan Beer
Sunday, 27 March 2011 10:18

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Global IT outsourcer CSC has issued a glowing message of praise for the newly elected NSW State Government, saying the incoming Barry O'Farrell led Liberal National Party coalition will usher in a new age of eHealth in Australia.

Yesterday, the longstanding incumbent ALP NSW State Government was decimated in the state election, leaving only a thin rump in the lower house of Parliament.

CSC, which claims to be the world's largest health systems integrator, welcomed the election of the O'Farrell Coalition Government in a statement saying that for the first time in more than 10 years NSW will have an experienced Minister in charge of the key health portfolio.

"NSW has a great chance to get the health system right - we welcome Jillian Skinner's appointment as Health Minister - this is the first time in over a decade NSW will have a Health Minister who won't have to be learning on the job," Lisa Pettigrew, CSC's National Director for Health Services said.

"We look forward to working with the new NSW Coalition Government. Policy announcements prior to the election from the Shadow Health Minister Jillian Skinner are very promising for the health sector and for eHealth in Australia,' Ms Pettigrew added.

"CSC has helped many other countries' and states' governments implement national and regional e-health programs and we look forward to helping the new NSW Government review and optimise technology and eHealth investments to deliver better outcomes for patients and clinicians across NSW,' said Pettigrew.

'We applaud the announcement of the $2m investment in the establishment of a Telehealth Technology Centre at Nepean Hospital and we encourage the new NSW Government to embrace the COAG and Federal Government's plans for personally controlled electronic health records available for all Australians"

In 2010, CSC released the Australian eHealth research report 'A Rising Tide of Expectations - Australian Consumers' Perspective on Electronic Health Records - A Necessary Ingredient in Health Reform'. The research found the majority of Australians want electronic health records and they want choice and control over their healthcare information.

The policies of the NSW Coalition focus on keeping people healthy and out of hospital, improved openness, better management of chronic disease and integration with community pharmacies and restoring local decision making.

Pettigrew said, 'All the Coalition's planned policies can only succeed if underpinned by quality information management technology systems providing the information and data for local clinicians and community leaders to make the right decisions with the right data to provide better and safer patient care.'