Mission Statement
The mission of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice is to work with and assist local general practitioners to provide optimum standards of primary health care, health education and health promotion to health consumers in the Wingecarribee Shire.
Report from the Chair
2008 seems to have come and gone with the blink of an eye! While the Minister (seemingly alone) is telling GPs to be prepared to toe the line and do what we are told, the rest of government and the healthcare industry seem to share our vision of GP-led primary care being at the centre of healthcare. Some truly exciting things are on the brink of occurring in 2009 – the development of some Integrated Primary Care centres in our area, and the influx of Phase III Medical students from the University of Wollongong. These students, who carry our hopes for the future of rural healthcare (and even our own retirement) on their shoulders, will spend 38 weeks based in our general practices.
I must congratulate the Division of General Practice for their enthusiastic assistance and energy. On behalf of all our members, I therefore thank Warwick, Sally and all of our Division staff for all their cheerful achievement and endeavor on our behalf, as well as our Board Members and the many members who have contributed to our efforts. I would particularly like to thank Phil Yeo who as our Board consumer representative attends all our Board meetings and gives wonderful input to our considerations.
I wish you all the best for the Christmas season and the New Year, and recommend the Division's annual report to you.
Dr Vince Roche
We gratefully acknowledge support from the
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Management Report
The Division's operations in the period were generally the same as in the previous year since the needs have not significantly changed.
Governance standards continued at the same high level, with the Division Board chaired by Dr Vince Roche, supported by Deputy Chair Dr Ann Parker, Treasurer Dr Richard Hanbury and Directors Drs Clive Cawthorne and Steven McGilvray. Our Community Representative, Mr Phil Yeo - a former Wingecarribee Shire Mayor, is ideally qualified to advise the Board on community issues. He continued to attend and participate in all Division Board meetings.
A high level of staff productivity and staff morale continued in the period. The latter is evidenced by a very low staff turnover.
The Division continued to collaborate with other Divisions including our neighbouring Division (Macarthur), and the other five Divisions in our Health Service area. We also have close involvement with our state organisation, now known as GP NSW, and the federal body, the Australian GP Network (AGPN).
The Southern Highlands Division was the lead organisation in a consortium of five South West Sydney Divisions in applying for and receiving an Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) primary care integration grant. This Primary Care Integration Program is proceeding under the governance of its Steering Committee which represents the Divisions' consortium and Sydney South West Area Health Service on behalf of this Division's Board as the contracting entity. The Committee and the Division are delighted with the progress being made.
Our Subsidiary Company continued to operate the After Hours Service which remains popular with members and consumers.
Immunisation assistance has continued to be well appreciated by the practices under the management of our part time nurse. At May 2008, our overall result was 90% coverage of the target group. However most practices are over 90%, with some in the high 90s.
Aged care activity has always been a strong point in our area with 21 of 24 practices supporting the RACFs. Those practices not involved comprise one which is a specialised practice and the other two new practices in the area. Other Aged Care activities include our Health Care Directives Program and the Falls Prevention Program.
Our Diabetes Program has continued on its successful path. The notable activity in the period was the planning for the inclusion of the Division in a large scale Diabetes Prevention Program to operate across three Division areas in the Sydney South West Area. The Diabetes Program currently has 85% GP support and continues to have excellent control figures. The reduction from 100% practice participation is due to the existence of one new practice and the need to get the Program into a paperless mode. We now also operate a Cardiovascular Risk Management Program based on our highly regarded Diabetes Program model.
The Division continued its strong support for the REO Activity Program during the year. This Program is the subject of a UNSW evaluation process.
Our Primary School based 'Bluearth' Activity Program targeting childhood obesity remains popular. This went well in the 2007 school year at two of our primary schools with financial support from two local clubs. During the period, we received more support from Wingecarribee Shire Council to promote activity amongst the children who were in the Bluearth Program in 2007, as well as assisting us to raise more community funding for the Program in the current school year. In the 2008, we have funded two more primary schools into the program thanks to financial support from Diabetes Australia.
The number of GP VMOs serving our local hospital remains at nine, covering general medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics, and surgery. There is shared ante-natal care between the four GP VMO obstetricians and 17 non VMO obstetrician GPs. There is full involvement by GPs in the Ambulatory Care Service and the Palliative Care Service operated by Community Health. The Division works closely with the Hospital including holding monthly meetings. This includes advising the Hospital on ways in which the GP VMO numbers may be increased.
The Mental Health Program continued to be a success story in the period. Features of the year were the necessary withdrawal of our shared position with the Health Service due to the demands on the Mental Health Nurse's time within the Division. This included a major increase in the utilisation of Better Outcomes in Mental Health (BOMH) services and launching Mental Health Nurse Program. The BOMH Program was put on hold during the period to allow us to assess the forward financial commitments. It re-opened in February 2008 on a restricted access basis. This was removed late in the year due to the grant of additional funds.
The Division's Quality Use of Medicine Program included the National Prescriber Service's Program directed at providing GPs with accurate information on targeted medications. There were 34 GP sessions under this Program in the period. Our QUM worker also continued to operate the UNSW Project on Practice Nurse mounted smoking cessation. This NH&MRC funded project studied the feasibility of providing a Medicare Benefit for this activity. The Program concluded in June 2008 and was most favourably reported.
Consumer focus continued through consumer input into the Diabetes, Mental Health and Aged Care programs, the After Hours Service and the presence of our Community Adviser at Board meetings.
Division staff as at 30 June 2008:
Executive Director – Dr Warwick Ruscoe – three days per week
Deputy CEO and Admin/Finance Officer – Sally Pfahl – full-time
Diabetes Program Officer – Jill Snow – full-time
Diabetes Admin Assistant – Anne Rogers – part-time
Aged Care Program Officer – Margaret Mogg – full-time
Mental Health Program Officer – Astrid Toscan – full-time
Mental Health Nurse – Theresa Korman – part-time
Mental Health Admin Assistant – Catherine Amos – part-time
Immunisation Officer – Cheryl Jones – part-time
Quality Use of Medicines and Smoking Cessation program – Gail Forlonge – part-time
Cardiovascular Program Officer – Nerida Campbell – part-time
Manager, After Hours Service and Admin Assistant – Julie Huntington – part time
After Hours Service Receptionists – Raelene Daley, Jennifer Menzies, Freya Worne.
Dr Warwick Ruscoe
Previous Reports
Annual Report 2006-2007
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