Enhancing the value of Health Care Services at a regional level

Health Care Services (HCS) industry is an important part of the vital, prosperous society.The presence of quality HCS is considered to be crucial for attracting new industries, retaining the existing ones and attributing to the overall social and economic prosperity of the region. However, it is not clear how to increase the value of HCS industry in regions. HCS industry might be one of the largest industries in the region in terms of creating employment and generating income; it does not necessarily create linkages with other industries in the region, and therefore it does not contribute fully to the prosperity of the regions. Using a case study of Fitzroy Statistical Division (a non metropolitan region in Queensland, Australia) the regional economic diversity is identified using the input output analysis. It is argued that each region needs to identify its key sectors in terms of backward and forward linkages in order to suggest which industries in the region need to be encouraged to increase their connections with HCS industry to increase the value of HCS in the region.