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Name Northern Division of General Practice Division Number 308 Classification Urban Number of Member GPs 233 State Victoria Year Established 1993 Number of Member Practices 112 Postcodes Covered 3056, 3058, 3060, 3061, 3062, 3072, 3073, 3074, 3075,3076, 3082, 3083, 3750, 3751,3752, 3754, 3755, 3757 Population 237,408 (2001 Census) Area Covered The Division catchment comprises the City of Whittlesea, Preston within the City of Darebin, and the eastern section of the City of Moreland to Sydney Road. The Division catchment comprises 350 square kilometres and includes high density inner suburban areas such as Preston, Coburg and Brunswick, established and growing outer suburbs such as Lalor, Thomastown and Epping, to the rural community surrounding the township of Whittlesea. CEO Mr Phillip Bain Chair Dr Shane Conway Physical Address: Level 1 232 Plenty Road PRESTON VIC 3072 Australia Postal Address: PO Box 1526 PRESTON SOUTH VIC 3072 Australia Email: ndgp@ndgp.org.au Phone: 03 9416 7689 Fax: 03 9416 7749 Website: http://www.ndgp.org.au

The Northern Division of General Practice is based at one of the two major public hospitals serving the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It plays a leading role in health service planning in conjunction with local government and other service providers.

There is one major public hospital, the Northern Hospital, within the catchment and five private hospitals. Local Government plays a major role in service coordination and delivery throughout the region. However, community and public health services are generally characterised by insufficient resources to meet the health and community needs of the population.

The Division has enjoyed a great deal of success in improving coordination of local, private and Commonwealth services and attracting additional resources to the disadvantaged northern suburbs. The area is largely one of low socio-economic status. The area has a significantly larger proportion of its citizens who are dependant upon welfare benefits or who live on a lower than average household income.

The health status of the community is far below the Victorian average in almost all categories. The area has the highest concentration of indigenous residents in Melbourne, and a high proportion of residents of NESB background. Most of the catchment has stagnant population growth, with the exception of the northern fringe that is undergoing rapid population growth.

Northern Division's important role as advocates on behalf of GPs, and in support of the professional objectives of GPs, makes it a vital organisation in improving the health status of the north.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

• Strong relationships with the Koori community, the Councils, the local hospitals and the local NESB population.
• The Division's support of improved patient care by supporting practices to improve their take-up of computing tools and to embrace quality assurance for a continuous improvement in the quality of care.
• The effective vehicles for communication between the Division and GPs and in promoting regional discussion involving GPs continues to be a strength of the local Division.
• CME and training programs which continue to be an important contribution to skill levels and liaison amongst local GPs.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

Within the next 12 months, the Division seeks to consolidate the achievements of the past years in areas such as Koori health, maternal and child health, by participating in disease management and health promotion strategies across the area.

The emphasis on a new model of primary care in the north through PCP, Municipal Public Health Plans etc. will continue to be a priority of the Division.

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