Andrew Coe, Western NSW Primary Heath Network CEO, responds to ITC program funding cut allegations

In a protest last month, Marrabinya workers, patients, and a Greens GP, had accused WNSW PHN's revised Integrated Team Care program of spending fewer dollars on supplementary services for patients, which includes free transport for patients to attend appointments.

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In an exclusive interview, Andrew Coe, CEO of WNSW PHN, told the Daily Liberal the amount of funds allocated for supplementary services were not being fully used and patients would not be "disadvantaged" by the revised program.

"Currently, we've got more money available for supplementary services than is being used. [Marrabinya] is not using the full amount," Mr Coe said.

"We don't believe people are being disadvantaged."

Mr Coe said the revised Integrated Team Care program, starting January 1 next year, will provide care coordination, a new service which had not been provided by Marrabinya before.

Implementation guidelines of the Integrated Team Care program defined care coordination as 'working collaboratively with clients, general practices, [Aboriginal Medical Services], and other service providers to assist with the care coordination of eligible clients with chronic disease'.

"The current Marrabinya program doesn't include care coordination. We're not taking any money from supplementary services... within the global budget we believe we can do supplementary services and care coordination, within the same amount of money," Mr Coe said.

"The short answer is, are we spending some money on care coordination? the answer is 'yes'. Is it going to stop people accessing services that they currently access? The answer is 'no'."

The WNSW PHN CEO also said he had not been able to meet protesting patients at the last two protests because the first meeting had been requested "last minute". He said two senior program managers were asked to meet with protesters in his place, but the protesters refused. During the second protest, he had been at WNSW PHN's board meeting in Orange, where the protesters' concerns had been discussed.

Mr Coe said he had arranged to meet with protesting patients and Donna Jeffries, manager of Marrabinya in Dubbo, last week but said they dropped out one day before the meeting.

"I indicated to Donna and couple of the patients that I'd be keen to meet them the following week...the patients agreed to meet with me originally, but the day before [the meeting] Donna indicated that they wouldn't be able to meet with me," Mr Coe said.

Speaking of switching service providers to more local Aboriginal Medical Services rather one central service came from recommendations from consultations. Mr Coe said the revised Integrated Team Care program was closing the gap by building capacities of local providers.

"We're serious about our intent to close the gap," he said.

"We talked to a number of patients, doctors, and community members, we engaged with our Aboriginal health council, and there was a recommendation... [that] we should look to do this locally rather than centrally and that's about closing the gap, building local capacity and capabilities.

"It ticks the box, it supports building local capabilities and capacities within the Aboriginal sector, local employment for people, it gives patients real time access to the service, all those positive things."

The CEO of WNSW also said the decision to revise the program had been made and the money had "left the PHN".

"The decision isn't going to be changed," Mr Coe said.

In coming weeks, Aboriginal Medical Services contracted by the WNSW PHN for the Integrated Team Care program will be meeting with Health Minister Mark Butler to walk him through the revised program and to assure him there would be no disruptions in services.