CURRENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

Supporting Local General Practitioners

This program focuses on specific types of support for general practitioners, notably in the areas of uptake of IM/IT, business and practice management skills, and assisting GPs to improve their job satisfaction. It also has the role of improving the local profile of the Division and general practice.

The services provided by this program include practice visits associated with accreditation, a range of computer training opportunities, local health services directory, opportunities for involvement in research and regular press releases.

Expected outcomes include an increased number of GPs using computers, an increased number of accredited GP practices, improved GP access to better business management practices, increased membership of the Division, and increased community awareness of general practice and the Division.

Improving Patient Health (including target health population groups)

This program focuses on the national health priority areas as well as on locally identified needs. There is an emphasis on development and use of best practice guidelines for detection and management of these diseases and conditions. The specific health needs of GPs as a population group are receiving particular attention in the current plan. This program also focuses on adolescent health issues, health issues of disadvantaged groups, and improving the continuity of care of patients.

Services provided are practice visits, clinical audits, CME activities, professional development activities, resources, and liaison and collaboration with local health service providers, community groups and schools.

Expected outcomes include improved childhood immunisation rates, an increase in the numbers of patients detected as being at risk of major preventable conditions. Also, improved access for young people to general practice, accessible information on the identified needs and health issues of disadvantaged groups, expansion of the current shared care program for antenatal care and an increase in the proportion of local GPs indicating that they have their own GP.

Building Collaborative Partnerships

This program focuses on the relationships between providers. Expected outcomes include improving communication flow and working relationships between GPs and local community services and providers through wider consultation and regular meetings to overcome barriers, and dealing with system problems quickly as they arise. The shared care arrangements for mental health and palliative care that were developed and nurtured by this Division will continue to be an important activity. This program will be emphasising the team approach and optimising the use of the new MBS items numbers for case conferencing and care planning.

This program will also provide a voice for general practice on local hospitals' planning and strategic committees. A major undertaking will be to facilitate meaningful contributions by general practice to all levels of health policy and planning at local government, area health and NSW health meetings and the provision of an effective evaluation of this representation and its usefulness to the Division and its members.

Consumer liaison, maintaining and increasing valuable consumer input to the Division's programs will form a major part of the program with partnerships between GPs, consumers and community support groups continuing to be developed.

Managing and Planning program

In the Managing and Planning program, the focus will be on assisting Directors to enhance the functioning of the Board and its subcommittees, and to provide quality management of all human and physical assets of the Division.

Developing appropriate policy and evaluation processes will be part of the process of achieving these aims. This program provides the infrastructure for the other three programs, and brings together and coordinates activities such as needs assessment and planning that are carried out by the program coordinators and the Executive Officer as a group.

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