Name GPpartners Division Number 405 Classification Urban Number of Member GPs approx. 776 (July 2006) State Queensland Year Established 1993 Number of Member Practices 216 (July 2006) Postcodes Covered 4000, 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4009, 4010, 4011, 4012, 4013, 4014, 4017, 4018, 4029, 4030, 4031, 4032, 4034, 4035, 4036, 4037, 4051, 4052, 4052, 4053, 4054, 4055, 4059, 4060, 4061, 4064, 4065, 4066, 4067, 4068, 4069, 4070, 4072, 4500, 4501, 4502, 4503, 4509, 4520, 4521 Population 552,204 (Qld Health, 2002) Area Covered All suburbs north of the Brisbane River up to and including Pine Rivers Shire; west to Bellbowrie; and east to Sandgate/Brighton. CEO Ms Abbe Anderson Chair Dr Henry Bryan Physical Address: 520 Lutwyche Road LUTWYCHE QLD 4030 Australia Postal Address: PO Box 845 LUTWYCHE QLD 4030 Australia Email: info@gppartners.com.au Phone: 07 3630 7300 Fax: 07 3630 7333 Website: http://www.gppartners.com.au

INTRODUCTION:
GPpartners (formerly Brisbane North Division of General Practice) is dedicated to assisting general practitioners and their staff in developing their clinical, business and workforce capabilities, striving for quality care and successful practices.

We have strong links with government departments, public and community health services and other medical representative bodies. These relationships, along with our GP members' support, give us a voice in local and national health issues.

Through our programs, we run activities that focus on general practice clinical development, continuing education, building practice viability and capacity and, improving health systems in collaboration with other healthcare providers.

For current information about programs and initiatives see http://www.gppartners.com.au/ or telephone 07 3630 7300.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Supporting GPs and general practice staff – we offer practice-based and personal support to help GPs and their staff gain better outcomes for their patients and for their practices. This includes offering programs and professional development in areas such as mental health, aged care, medicines, communicable disease & immunisation and practice management and administration, as well as activities that link general practice with community and hospital services.
• Project Management – GPpartners actively capitalises on its size and pursues opportunities to undertake innovative projects. GPpartners has proven record in managing large programs and delivering on outcomes.
• Governance – GPpartners works hard to maintain sound governance structures and processes and in 2005 GPpartners became a company limited by guarantee.
• Hospital Liaison – Our liaison team and hospital collaboratives are providing advice and assistance to local major public hospitals when developing new systems and policy to recognise and include general practice.
• Medical Assisting – an Australian first, the Diploma of Medical Assisting course was instigated by GPpartners and developed with local GPs and GP representatives. Medical Assistants are now working in general practices, assisting GPs as part of their staff team.

CHALLENGES:

• Workforce - GP numbers, practice team.
• Funding and growth.
• Communication - two-way with members/stakeholders.
• Evaluation and quality measurement - at GP, practice and Division level.
• Product and service segmenting and prioritising.