Name Ballarat and District Division of General Practice Division Number 325 Classification Rural Number of Member GPs approx. 100 State Victoria Year Established 1993 Number of Member Practices 27 Postcodes Covered 3330, 3334, 3341, 3342, 3345, 3350, 3351, 3352, 3354, 3355, 3356, 3357, 3360, 3361, 3363, 3364, 3370, 3371, 3460, 3461 Population 122,222 Area Covered BDDGP covers a geographic area of 7,300 square kilometres and a catchment population of approximately 122,222 people. The catchment includes the city of Ballarat and the towns of Daylesford, Creswick, Clunes, Skipton and Ballan. CEO Mr Andrew Howard Chair Dr Mark Churcher Physical Address: 105 Webster Street BALLARAT WEST VIC 3350 Australia Postal Address: PO Box 36W BALLARAT WEST VIC 3350 Australia Email: contact@bddgp.org.au Phone: 03 5331 6303 Fax: 03 5331 5754 Website: http://www.bddgp.org.au

Mission Statement:

To provide quality support and services to general practitioner members in Ballarat and District, to enhance their roles as leaders and major contributors to the improved health of our community.

Values Statement:

Ballarat and District Division of General Practice - it's members, Committee of Management and Staff - strives to improve and promote quality, accessible services with GP's and Practices to achieve better health outcomes for the community.

This is achieved through:

• Mutual respect for the commitment, knowledge and skills of all stakeholder's in BDDGP
• Recognition that BDDGP is a partner in a broad, diverse and evolving health care system at local, state and national levels.
• Collaboration and openness in achieving improved outcomes and resolving issues of mutual concern.

Ballarat and District Division of General Practice represents approximately 90 GPs, with 100% membership.  BDDGP covers a geographic area of 7,300 square kilometres and a catchment population of approximately 122,222 people. The catchment includes the city of Ballarat and the towns of Daylesford, Creswick, Clunes, Skipton and Ballan.  BDDGP currently employs approximately 11 EFT staff working across a range of programs.

Major Achievements:
Balllarat and District Division of General Practice has developed and maintained specific strengths in the areas of:

• Development, trialling and implementation of e-health projects that both enhance general practice IM/IT capacity and inform the national e-health agenda.
• Delivery of an effective and expansive CPD program for local GPs.
• Support of a structured professional development network for Practice Managers and Practice Nurses, enhancing the capacity of the practice team.
• Increased liaison and cooperation between GPs and Hospitals.
• Increased liaison and cooperation between GPs and community agencies.
• Support of improved working relationships between GPs and pharmacists through establishment of the Ballarat and District Pharmacy Alliance.
• Effective delivery of major national programs including Immunisation, GP Workforce and Training, NPS, HMMR, Chronic Disease Management and Mental Health.

Challenges for the Future:
The major challenges facing Ballarat and District Division of General Practice over the medium term future include:

• The ageing of the GP Workforce, evolution of "standard" working hours and number of part-time GPs.
• Reduction in bulk-billing rates vis-a-vis access.
• Changing consumer expectations of GP services.
• More effective collaboration between GPs and other health agencies with the challenge of developing IM processes to support this.
• Greater focus on preventative care and health promotion.
• Responding to the changing nature of After Hours care.
• Transcend the gap between the Division being an exclusively GP member focussed organisation and the development of the Division as a major contributor to the broader
• Primary Care sector.

Page Updated: February 2005

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