Name Adelaide Western General Practice Network Division Number 501 Classification Urban Number of Member GPs 284 State South Australia Year Established 1993 Number of Member Practices 130 Postcodes Covered 5007, 5008, 5009, 5010, 5011, 5012, 5013, 5014, 5015, 5016, 5017, 5018, 5019, 5020, 5021, 5022, 5023, 5024, 5025, 5031, 5032, 5033, 5037, 5038, 5040, 5045, 5082, 5084, 5950 Population 219,591 (2001 Census) Area Covered The Division covers an area of approximately 205.4 square kilometres. The boundary covers the suburbs immediately to the west and north west of the City of Adelaide to St Vincents Gulf. CEO Dr Peter Del Fante Chair Dr Pasquale Cocchiaro Physical Address: Unit 5, Woodville Centre 98-102 Woodville Road WOODVILLE SA 5011 Australia Postal Address: Locked Bag 13 Regency Park Private Boxes REGENCY PARK SA 5942 Australia Email: awgpn@awgpn.org.au Phone: 08 8244 3822 Fax: 08 8243 0260 Website: http://www.awgpn.org.au/

Since its inception, the Adelaide Western General Practice Network (AWGPN) - formally Adelaide Western Division of General Practice, has developed a series of population health programs, which evolved under the theme of Integrated Systems of Care. This development has taken place firstly under project funding and then under Outcomes Based Funding (OBF). AWDGP is highly regarded for its capacity to produce high quality outcomes for GPs and population health. AWGPN has been invited by many organisations; including Universities, Hospital Departments and Community Health Organisations, to become a joint partner in various program activities, due to its reputation and ability to produce quality outcomes. The Divisions mission is to maintain and improve the standard of health care of people in the Western Metropolitan Adelaide Region through enhanced General Practice care.

The management structure of the Division comprises a Committee of Management; the executive team comprises the Chairman, Treasurer, Chief Executive Officer, Medical Director and Programs Manager. The Division employs 18 staff and a number of GPs who have been identified as advisors to the Programs.

The Division maintains effective links with other key stakeholders and is an active participant in health activities including partnership in; SA Divisions of General Practice (SADI), General Practice Information Management Company (GPIMC), North Western Adelaide Health Service, The Queen Elizabeth Campus and Lyell McEwin Campus, Adelaide Central Community Health Service, The Parks Community Health Service, Royal District Nursing Service, North Western Adelaide Mental Health Service and the University of Adelaide.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

The AWGPN provides leadership in innovation, and in the development and management of integrated primary systems of care. This has been strongly demonstrated and independently evaluated successfully on a number of levels.

AWGPN is:

• recognised as the only Division in South Australia to be selected as a pilot Division for Outcomes Based Funding (OBF);
• authorised to act in a mentoring role and provide OBF advice to all other Divisions in South Australia as part of the transition to OBF;
• recognised for successful external evaluation of a number of its programs;
• co-author with Universities in a number of recognised academic journals;
• a regular presenter at national conferences; and
• recognised for providing leadership in South Australia in a number of key population based areas.

AWGPN has established a reputation for rigorous evaluation, providing evidence of the successful outcomes of its programs. This expertise, which now underpins the planning of all of AWGPNs programs, includes strategic planning, health economics, randomised controlled trials and consumer input through the use of focus group methodology and other qualitative methods.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

The area of the Division is large; it comprises a high Non-English Speaking population, and wide areas of significant health and socio-economic disadvantage. The level of disadvantage has prompted the Division to write a specific position paper on addressing health inequalities in General Practice. The paper includes an innovative management grid to assist the Division in its future planning to target specific groups and areas of high risk. As a result of the Divisions extensive and ongoing consultation, the Division has identified priorities for the next five years which include the following areas: GP Support; Information Technology; Integrated systems of enhanced General Practice care; GP involvement in the Community. Access to services is the key issue for many disadvantaged groups within the Divisional area. For those with no private transportation, access to services via public transport is a real problem when they have serious illnesses. The aged in particular are vulnerable. Coordination of services has been a complex task because there has been significant re-alignment of state health services over the past three years. Providing health services to newly arrived migrants presents particular problems. Very little was known of the diverse needs of these groups until the Community Participation team of the Adelaide Western Division with the Regency Institute of TAFE undertook an extensive needs analysis. A detailed document has now been produced which cross-references needs with the socio-demographic profile of each group.