Advocacy

HCA promotes the not-for-profit sector in primary healthcare and advocates for increased health services for communities that are hardest to reach.

We build links with policy-makers, politicians, sector and community leaders so that our members’ voices are heard when pivotal decisions are made in all areas that affect the health and well-being of those we care for.

We believe more must be done to address inequalities and remove disparities in health care. We support a population-based funding formula, using evidence-based indicators of need. These indicators must take into account age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation to acknowledge the increased needs of communities who currently miss out on services. It is essential that patients are able to see an appropriate health professional as soon as they have a health issue.

We support a multidisciplinary team-based approach which includes nurse-led outreach clinics, community health worker-led health promotion programmes and empowerment of patients in their own healthcare.