PHDGP Corporate Plan 2004 - 2007
The Board of Directors of PHDGP has developed and is in the process of implementing an overarching Corporate Plan to guide and govern the future directions of the company for the period 2004 / 2007. The following summarises the overall Vision and Values framework of PHDGP:
Our Vision
Building Better Health Care
Our Mission
To build better health and well-being for all through leadership in the coordination and provision of effective General Practice and community health services.
We will achieve this by:
- Building Primary Health Care Capacity;
- Developing Primary Health Care Infrastructure;
- Primary Health Care Policy;
- Improving patient care and promoting health; and,
- Promoting best practice through excellence leadership and accountability.
Our Values
Respect, Fairness, Compassion, Truth
Our Customers
The definition of the PHDGP community includes primary, secondary and tertiary health services, residents, businesses and Non-Government Organisations.
Our primary customers are the primary care team, in recognition that supporting general practice and allied health will enhance the health of the community.
Our secondary customers are those populations who are recognised as needing assistance to maintain optimal health.
The primary strategic goal of PHDGP as identified by the Directors of the company is to transition to a regional Primary Health Care service, with a key focus on integration and health service reform targeted to better health outcomes for regional health consumers.
Geographic and demographic characteristics of PHDGP
The catchment are of PHDGP spans approximately 2,500km2 of the Perth metropolitan north-eastern and eastern area. The catchment area is diverse and contains the following:
The central business district;
- Medium to high-density inner-urban residential settings;
- Low density outer-urban / semi-rural settings;
- High levels of secondary and service industry; and,
- Sector specific primary industry (eg: agriculture, wine making).
Population spread and characteristics are equally as diverse, with marked population and housing / social infrastructure growth in the north-eastern corridor commenced (and accelerating), and the potential for major growth in the eastern / foothills corridor as new housing estates and satellite communities are developed. In raw numerical terms, population numbers have increased by over 9.5% between 1996 and 2001 (ABS Census data) with 2001 data indicating a total of 299,513 residents in the PHDGP catchment area. Satellite developments such as Ellenbrook have seen major influxes of residents (394% growth between 1996 and 2001), with more development already in progress at Ellenbrook, High Wycombe, Midland (through the Midland Redevelopment Program), Forrestfield, and the Upper Swan Corridor.
There are key population groupings within PHDGP's geographic catchment that are of particular note, and who display the highest burden of disease in both General Practice and the broader health care sector.
Indigenous people
PHDGP has a high indigenous population, which has many characteristics. Of particular note is the high concentration of indigenous people in the Swan catchment area. ABS Census data from 2001 indicated a total of 5,344 indigenous people in the PHDGP catchment, representing over 28% of all indigenous people in the Perth metropolitan area. In addition to these numbers are a high level of transient indigenous people from other regions of metropolitan Perth and WA who temporarily reside in or near the CBD - estimates of these numbers are not available.
Aged / Seniors
Equally, aged care populations figure highly in the PHDGP catchment with the following characteristics:
- People 65 plus - 34,903; and,
- People 75 plus - 15,688.
People 65 plus living in the community represent 93% of all people over the age of 65 in the catchment area. The PHDGP catchment has 48 Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) within it, with 2,304 RACF places. Facilities tend to be clustered on the western border and inner north of PHDGP (North Perth, Mount Lawley), with other clusters along the main eastern corridor of the catchment (Midland, Hills).
Young people
While of less numerical and burden of disease impact, this population group is of major importance within the PHDGP catchment. While not exhibiting a major growth in raw numbers between the 1996 and 2001 census, it is expected that the establishment of new satellite communities will lead to a major increase in numbers of the next 10-15 years.
General Practice
Workforce is a major issue across many areas of the PHDGP catchment. Workforce ratios are variable across the catchment, with inner-city ratios at approximately 1 FTE per 849 of population, ranging to outer urban ratios of approximately 1 FTE to 2,135 population. Drilling down to the local level, some satellite communities have ratios approaching 1 FTE to 9,000 (e.g. Ellenbrook).
In addition to raw numbers of GP workforce, the region has shortages of key primary care staff in a number of locations reducing the capacity for referral and speedy treatment by and with General Practice. Lack of workforce and supporting infrastructure, coupled with higher demand for General Practice services has led to increased workload stress on a diminishing pool of primary care providers.
