$55m set aside for new e-health sites
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday called for the next round of organisations wanting to be involved in the government's e-health record roll-out, holding out $55 million to kick start a second round of e-health sites.
Roxon said that applications were welcome from Divisions of General Practice, professional organisations, non-government organisations and the private sector, in addition to others involved in Australian healthcare.
Organisations wanting to be involved have to file an application with the Department of Health and Ageing's tender site by 23 December 2010. The new sites are expected to be chosen next year.
The new sites follow on from the first sites to trial the e-health record in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Hunter.
Last week the government offered money to vendors to alter their products in line with the National E-health Transition Authority's (NEHTA) specifications. The vendors will test the specifications and offer feedback.
The Federal Government has pledged $466.7 million to developing e-heath records with the hopes of making personally-controlled records available to Australians by 2012.
The government is also holding an e-health national summit in Melbourne next week on 30 November and 1 December . Speakers at the event include Roxon, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and National E-Health Transition Authority CEO Peter Flemming.