Executive General Manager's foreword

As we near the end of the year, it’s an ideal time to reflect on our collective impact over the past year through integration, collaboration and innovation as we work towards achieving health equity.

This past year we continued to prioritise our efforts and investment towards achieving health equity, while ensuring best value for money through commissioning integrated primary health care services that build capacity, capability and sustainability, and measurably improve health outcomes.

I hope you enjoy the highlights in WA Primary Health Alliance’s (WAPHA) Year in Review 2023-24.

You can also read about our progress towards our health priorities in our Activity Snapshot 2023-24. 

Our strength is in our stakeholder networks across the state, and how we can innovate and work together to improve health equity for our under-served communities and it promises to be another exciting and impactful year ahead.

Over the coming year, WAPHA will be progressing a number of activities that are standardising, reviewing, developing, and improving the way we perform its commissioning function across the entire commissioning lifecycle. The program of change will run through to June 2026.

The impact of these changes will be felt both externally with our commissioned service providers and other stakeholders, as well as internally at WAPHA. One of the primary functions that the Australian Government asks of us is to commission services – this is not an activity that is limited to one area of our organisation - commissioning is everyone's business at WAPHA. Commissioning in WAPHA’s context involves strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, procuring services, monitoring and evaluation.

The Australian National Audit Office’s Effectiveness of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Performance Management of Primary Health Networks recommendations, and the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s Strengthening Medicare Reform Agenda, are seeking improvements in how all Primary Health Networks (PHN) commission health services, monitor and evaluate performance and report on outcomes achieved (value and impact – ultimately focused on health equity).

WAPHA is endeavouring to respond in a way that supports these directions, builds capability and capacity across the PHN network, and increasingly focuses on delivering value through all activities.

The program of change will allow us to meet the evolving needs of our funder, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Have a safe and enjoyable festive season, and I look forward to working together again next year.

Kind Regards

Mark Cockayne

Executive General Manager - Commissioned Services

General information

WA Primary Health Alliance's Cultural Competency, Equity and Inclusion Snapshot 2023-24

WAPHA’s commitment to cultural competency, inclusion and diversity ensures our employees feel safe and respected and helps us commission services that improve equity and access. Our Cultural Competency, Equity and Inclusion Snapshot 2023-24, gives insight into what we’ve been doing over the last year to support a safe and inclusive culture for our people, health service providers, partners, and community members.

WA Primary Health Alliance's Performance Management Framework - Feedback opportunity

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving our services and support, WAPHA is currently seeking feedback from all commissioned service providers who are onboarded to our Performance Management Framework (PMF).

We would like to hear about your experiences and insights regarding the PMF and the Commissioned Services Reporting Portal. Your input is incredibly important to us and will help shape future improvements ensuring that our frameworks and tools continue to meet your needs.

Best completed by a staff member who has an understanding and oversight of WAPHA-funded services and reporting, the survey closes on 20 December 2024.

Primary Health Network Program Review  

The Department of Health and Aged Care has commissioned Boston Consulting Group to conduct parallel reviews of the PHN Business Model and Mental Health Flexible Funding Model. WAPHA is well engaged in the Review, providing our input at PHN program level and at jurisdictional level.  It is important that the Review is cognisant of the unique whole-of-state PHN model that operates in WA.

Other key stakeholders have been invited to participate in the initial phase of consultation, during which the Review team will seek to gather stakeholder perceptions and understand current experiences and areas of opportunity. Stakeholder participation in this Review is essential to ensure diverse perspectives are considered.

The Department of Health and Aged Care is seeking feedback via written submissions from consumers, frontline health practitioners, commissioned service providers and other interested parties about their experiences with the PHN Program. While the Government also provides support for Australians through a range of other primary care programs and funding streams these are out of scope of this Review.  Stakeholders are invited to view the Consultation Paper and respond by providing a written submission on the Department of Health and Aged Care Consultation Hub. Responses will be accepted until 11.59PM AEDT on 22 January 2025.

National guide to preventative health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has launched the fourth edition of the National guide to preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The National Guide is a practical resource to best practice preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

News and media

New needs assessment reveals key insights for enhancing health services  

Over 110 primary health care services and consumers contributed to WAPHA's Needs Assessment on after-hours access, multicultural access, and homelessness support services in Western Australia.

Their feedback, combined with quantitative data on need and supply, will guide us in commissioning services tailored to local requirements.

Emerging key insights include:

- After-hours care is limited by delivery costs, workforce shortages, and immature telehealth.

- Regional areas report relatively higher homelessness rates and lower support access.

- Multicultural communities face significant access barriers due to navigation, financial, and linguistic challenges.

Key considerations identified to support WAPHA in potential service design commissioning processes include:

- Supporting general practices to offer after-hours care and sustainable after-hours care models in aged care. 

- Enhancing homeless health services' capacity for primary care needs. 

- Establishing a care navigation service and health education campaign for multicultural communities.

DBTeen providing unique support to teenagers and families for five years

Lifeline program DBTeen, funded by WAPHA, is designed to help teens change unhelpful thinking and behaviour and manage their emotions and has celebrated five years of providing early intervention for teenagers experiencing mental health difficulties.

Read more

Project expansion for person-centred end-of-life support

Improving palliative care and end-of-life support for older Australians living in residential aged care homes is at the heart of a successful case coordinator pilot project, which has seen a significant uplift in honouring the preferences of residents.

Launched in January 2023, this project employed four dedicated case coordinators across eight residential aged care homes in WA. These coordinators have enhanced the quality of end-of-life care, supporting residents, their loved ones, and care staff helping streamline communication and clinical priorities with GPs.

The project has now expanded, furthering our commitment to comprehensive care and support within the aged care system. 

Procurement and contracting 

Homelessness Support Grants Program 

WAPHA is pleased to advise of a one-off grant opportunity that has recently gone live. 

The Homelessness Support Grants Program provides funds to support access to primary health care for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homeless in Perth North, Perth South and Country WA Primary Health Networks.

The grant will allow effective and sustainable changes to be made within organisations to better meet the primary health care needs of people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. Successful applicants will have a 12-month period to complete approved activities.

In Perth metro this grant is open for applications from organisations who currently work with and deliver primary health care services specifically for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

In Country WA this grant is open for applications from organisations that currently work with and deliver services specifically for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness; and organisations that do not currently work with, or deliver services specifically targeting this population, but provide primary health care services, or are seeking to provide services to people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

Find out more

Training and events 

Resources