A review of community consultation in the development of a multi purpose service in rural and remote Australia

Abstract

This paper examines the role of community consultation and participation in the process of establishing a Multi Purpose Service (MPS) program in two towns in Western Australia. Information was gathered through written documents and semi-structured interviews with individuals who were integral to the process. Consumer involvement in health care is increasing, and while claims of being community driven underpinned the MPS program, our findings suggest otherwise. Conflicts of interest, a lack of representation, and misunderstandings about the meaning of community consultation were present throughout the process of implementation. Moreover, official reports either ignore or downplay these events. We conclude that more attention must be paid to the role of the community in the health reform agenda generally and the MPS program specifically.