Kimberley Division of General Practice
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Name Kimberley Division of General Practice
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| Division Number |
610 |
| Classification |
Rural |
| Number of Member GPs |
52 |
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| State |
Western Australia |
| Year Established |
1998 |
| Number of Member Practices |
14 |
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| Postcodes Covered |
6725, 6728, 6740, 6743, 6765, 6770
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| Population |
32,700 (2001 Census)
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| Area Covered |
The Division covers 423,000 square kilometres, encompassing the towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, and Wyndham.
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| CEO |
Mr Matthew Burrows |
| Chair |
Dr Harpreet Singh |
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| Physical Address: |
| Unit 5, 20 Hamersley Street |
| BROOME WA 6725 |
| Australia |
| Postal Address: |
| PO Box 1548 |
| BROOME WA 6725 |
| Australia |
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The Kimberley Division of General Practice (KDGP) is a relatively new Division formed in May 1998. Its operational base started in early September of that year. The Division's size is equivalent to the size of the state of Victoria, and it population is spread throughout its entire area. The Division has eight staff members who consist of an Executive Officer, Operations Manager, Program Support Officer, Business Development Officer, Clerical Officer, Dietitian and a Podiatrist. based in the main office in Broome. The Division also has a branch in Kununurrra where the second Dietitian is based.
The KDGP has formed close links with the Kimberley Health Service, The Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service Council, The Kimberley Public Health Unit, North West Mental Health Service and other Divisions throughout WA.
These, along with links to the DoHA, WACHS, WACRRM, RACGP, WAGPET, AMA and the Post Graduate Medical Committee have seen consultation and collaboration in planning activities for better health outcomes within the Divisional Area.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
The Divisions major achievements to date have been getting Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities to remote GPs. Instead of taking much needed Medical services out of remote towns the division takes the CME event to the GPs. The Kimberley Division currently delivers the only podiatry services to the Kimberley region through funding from Regional Health Services. The More Allied Health Services program through DoHA also sees the delivery of dietetic services provided by two out of a total of three dietitians in the region.
CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE
The Division will be working hard to get an appropriate diabetes program up and running as well as continuing to get the immunisation rate of children over 90%. CME/Workforce issues will also be one of the Division's top priorities. The KDGP is also looking at avenues of delivering a sustainable yet regionally appropriate take on the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program fudned through DoHA.
