Focusing the Graz Agenda

Focusing the Graz Agenda

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Decision-making and financial authority – Regions with responsibility for decision-making should also have freedom to plan, finance and implement capital investment programmes and projects

Capital models – regions should understand that financial climates change and should develop and maintain the expertise and insights to propose solutions that benefit regional and local economies and communities

ICT – Regions with ageing populations, low population density or widely spread communities may find ICT solutions more cost effective than the traditional ‘hub and spoke’ hospital model

Risks and opportunity management – Do regional health care policy makers and planners understand risks and opportunities involved in decision-making e.g. advances in medical technology that can reduce hospitalisation; changes in care models that reflect transition to preventative chronic illness in health care populations; shifting demands now and in the future; changes in public opinion about what is acceptable; being able to adopt flexible financial models

Economic value of health care infrastructure investment – the need to show that the benefits of rational and innovative planning extend far beyond the immediate needs of treating patients. The best value for local communities is achieved when local health sector policy makers and planners have key knowledge and experience of new capital models

Sustainable development - A regional focus on solving today’s problems is not effective capital investment. There is a need to consider joint or intersectoral shared capital projects in order to reduce the overall capital burden

Societal values – If we focus to much on how capital interacts with economic development then we risk not seeing and ensuring that health care is about people. This is a key theme of the Lisbon Agenda. Services need to reflect the needs and priorities of local communities