Fed: National health record system stalled: Labor=2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2006
Fed: National health record system stalled: Labor=2

But today the federal government said the HealthConnect project was on track and a
major agreement had been made at the most recent Council of Australian Governments (COAG)
meeting.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Abbott said the meeting had agreed to have a
work schedule in place by 2009, a "considerable" step involving consensus about protocols
and terminology.

The governments also agreed to accelerate the electronic health record agenda, and
for an additional $130 million to be invested in the National E-Health Transition Authority,
the body responsible for developing the electronic records.

She said the federal government could not act alone on the health agenda and had to
collaborate closely with the states and territories through the health ministers conferences
and COAG.

"HealthConnect is still operational and on track and we are learning some very valuable
lessons from the trials that have been going on in Tasmania and the Northern Territory,"

the spokeswoman said.

"The minister has expressed his frustration with how slow things are moving, but it
is very complicated, and it's moving ahead.

"The agreement at COAG recently is a big stem in the right direction."

AAP jb/cjh/bwl

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