Priority areas to be addressed within the Division's programs:

Health issues -

• Mental Health
• CVD
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Smoking
• Asthma
• Diet & Exercise
• Addictions
• Pain
• Functionally limited, at risk elderly
• Immunisation

Issues for general practice -

• Continuing medical education
• IT support and training
• Accreditation & Practice development
• Linkages between GPs
• Linkages with hospitals
• Communication of information
• Support GP interface with community
• GP workforce issues
• GP health
• Research

The Division has also identified a number of local groups with specialised needs. These groups are to be targeted throughout Division programs.

• Diverse Cultural and Language Backgrounds (DCALB)
• Koories
• Low socio-economic
• Disabilities
• Youth
• Chronic Illness

Division Management

This program aims to effectively and efficiently manage the Division. The objective is to have a soundly operating Division, complying with all legal requirements. This involves:

• Strategic, Business and Financial management
• Human Resources
• Community Action Forum - 8 community representatives, one staff member and one GP Board member

General Practitioner Services

This program aims to effectively and efficiently provide a range of services to member and non-member general practitioners. Program Objectives include:

• Regular, relevant and timely information regarding the Division, other services and other issues of relevance are communicated and disseminated to the Division's GPs
• A relevant, high quality Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Professional Development program is provided to the Division's GPs
• Improved practice management and increased use in clinical software Services provided by the Division include:
• Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development Program
• North West Courier Division Newsletter
• Friday Fax
• Accreditation
• Division's Member Package
• Information Technology in General Practice - including Recall Systems, Scriptwriting, Web Pages for practices
• Practice Managers' Network
• Practice Nurses' Network
• Location Map

Health Promotion Program

The program aims to enhance the role of the GP in providing public health and health promotion services in the general practice and in the wider community. The program objectives include:

• A systematic approach to preventive care in the practice setting
• GP participation in promoting preventive health issues in the community
• GP participation in community based activities undertaken by the Division
• Division and GPs are represented in the development, coordination and delivery of local preventive health plans and programs (PCP) Services provided by the Division include:
• Health Promotion Activities eg. Health weeks
• Practice Based Activities eg. Active Script
• Community Based Activities eg. Festivals, media, GP linkages with community organisations
• Health Promotion Continuing Medical Education and Clinical Audit
• Immunisation
• Primary Care Partnership - Health Promotion Working Party
• GP Special Interest Groups - GP Health and Immunisation
• Elders Project
• Refugee Health Project

Illness Management

The program aims to enhance GPs management of illness and health conditions to reduce inappropriate referral to specialists and Division of General Practice Program Aims. Program Objectives are:

• The application of disease specific guidelines are promoted and supported
• Mechanisms for GP involvement in continuum of care are developed and implemented
• GPs ability to develop and implement comprehensive care plans with multidisciplinary participation is enhanced
• Advocacy with other providers regarding communication / collaboration with GPs

Serviced provided by the Division include:

• Clinical Management Guidelines in Diabetes, CVD and Cancer
• Shared Care Models eg. Diabetes
• Continuing Medical Education - Diabetes, CVD and Cancer
• Retinopathy Screening in General Practice
• Enhanced Primary Care Package
• GP to GP referral protocols

Communication and Liaison

The program aims to enhance communication and liaison between GPs, health providers, community agencies, Government, North Western Health Care Network and consumers. The Division's objectives include:

• Improved coordination of patient information transfer between GPs, hospitals and specialists
• Improved liaison between GPs, health providers and community agencies
• GP representation on internal and external committees involving policy planning and public health issues
• Enhanced GP ability to utilise the expertise of other GPs within the Division, to better meet the specialist needs of patients Services provided by the Division include:
• Health for Kids Paediatric Network - Four Divisions and Royal Children's Hospital
• GP Special Interest Groups - Immunisation, GP Health, Mental Health, Diabetes, Men's Health, Youth Health, Aged Care, Asthma, Female GP, Culturally Diverse
• GP representation on External Committees - 10 to 15 GPs represent General Practice on between 20 to 30 external committees
• Primary Care Partnership
• Coordinated Care Trials
• Integration of General Practice - includes Community Services database use in general practice, and hospital liaison incorporating discharge summaries.