New health prevention programs totalling $3.7 million aim to reduce the high rates of heart disease, asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure in the community, says Health Minister John Thwaites.

Launching four Primary Care Partnerships pilot projects at the Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre, Mr Thwaites said the projects would improve health outcomes and reduce hospital admissions for people with or at risk of these chronic diseases.

Mr Thwaites said the Government was also providing an additional $20,000 to Asthma Victoria for a secondary schools asthma program and an extra $130,000 for the Victorian Retinopathy Screening Development project to boost eye disease screening services.

‘The Government is committed to helping community-based health care achieve the goals of improving the health of the community and reduce the inappropriate use of hospital and medical services,’ he said.

‘Heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes place great burdens on local communities and the health system.

‘The Victorian Burden of Disease Study shows cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health, injury, diabetes and asthma account for 68 per cent of health and welfare problems in Victoria.

‘By developing local health plans for communities through the Primary Care Partnership Strategy we can better ensure our health programs are cost-effective and meet the specific needs of those communities.’

Mr Thwaites said the disease management initiative represented a major health care shift from a cure for disease to high quality care and prevention.

‘While it was essential that people have access to hospital treatment and surgery these are expensive options,’ he said.

‘We should aim to prevent ill health and unnecessary use of hospital beds by focusing energies on primary care, better community support, early intervention and health promotion.’

Mr Thwaites said each of the four Primary Care Partnerships pilot projects would receive $945,000 over three years and enable health care providers to focus efforts on particular diseases in specific parts of Victoria.

The projects are:

• Banyule-Nillumbik Primary Care Partnership, covering the local government areas of Banyule and Nillumbik with a population of more than 170,000, will focus on developing an integrated approach to the prevention and care of hypertension;

• Westbay Primary Care Partnership, covering the local government areas of Hobsons Bay, Wyndham and Maribyrnong with a population of more than 222,490, will focus on cardiac failure and diabetes;

• South East Primary Care Partnership, incorporating the local government areas of Greater Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey with a population of more than 310,000, will focus on diabetes;

• South West and Southern Grampians/Glenelg Primary Care Partnership, covering the south west Victorian shires of Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Moyne, Corangamite and the City of Warrnambool with a combined population of more than 105,000, will focus on asthma and diabetes.

‘The main objectives of the Primary Care Partnerships strategy are to make it easier for people to access and use services and reduce the use of hospital, medical and residential services through a greater emphasis on coordinated provision of home and community-based services,’ he said.

‘An integrated approach to disease management will benefit consumers and the health system by providing better and measurable results, more informed consumers and greater continuity and consistency of care.

Mr Thwaites said the schools asthma program would enable school nurses to play a key role in helping to better treat and manage asthma attacks among students and help tackle the illness in its early stages.

‘The Government will also set up diabetes and asthma advisory groups in the Department of Human Services to give expert advice on the integrated disease management pilot projects,’ he said.