Among the focus for Western Sydney Primary Health Network and our partners, has been the development of strategies which seek to address chronic disease prevention and management through better coordination and integration of services between the primary (general practice) and acute (hospital) sectors.
What are Chronic Diseases?
Chronic diseases are characterised by complex causality, multiple risk factor, long latency periods, a prolonged course of illness and functional impairment or disability. Most chronic diseases don’t resolve spontaneously and are generally not cured completely. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma are amongst the leading causes of death and disability in Australia. The most socially disadvantaged areas often have the highest prevalence of chronic diseases. The rate of chronic disease in Western Sydney is quite high with diabetes being higher across many areas in Western Sydney, compared to the national diabetes prevalence rate.
Diabetes
With Western Sydney regarded as a diabetes hotspot, the need for a coordinated and whole-of-system approach to its prevention and management was recognised by the community. Working in partnership, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, along with Western Sydney Local Health District, consumers and health professionals, established the Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD) Alliance to reduce the burden of the condition. WSD initiatives include routine HbA1c screening, Joint Specialist Case Conferencing and GP Walking Groups. More information is available on our Western Sydney Diabetes webpage. Additional programs we provide are:
Offering nurses of local practices extended training in diabetes management to enhance the support of GPs in the ongoing management of their patients.
A monthly Diabetes Support Group is available for community members living with diabetes and their carers. Each meeting focuses on a different aspect of diabetes management and features a guest speaker. The next support group has been cancelled due to COVID-19. For more information on when the support group will continue, email Cathryn Ward.
Delivered to people in Western Sydney who have pre-diabetes or are in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, Shared Medical Appointments (SMA) are consecutive individual medical visits carried out in a supportive group setting of similar patients where all can listen, interact and learn. The program will be delivered in six general practices in Western Sydney to develop and trial an SMA package in pre-diabetes and early-stage type 2 diabetes prevention, mitigation and management.
Too Deadly for Diabetes is a 10-week program that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members living with, or at risk of developing, type 2 Diabetes. Expertly facilitated by one of Australia’s leading health professionals Ray Kelly, the program provides participants with a meal plan, exercise program, education, and motivation with the aim of losing weight, improving health, and reducing diabetes risk factors.
Hear the testimonials of some of the program’s participants: Too Deadly for Diabetes in Emerton
To find out more about these activities contact the Commissioning team at commissioning@wentwest.com.au or the Aboriginal Health team at aboriginalhealth@wentwest.com.au
Run by Diabetes NSW and ACT, the Looking After Your Health (LAYH) Program provides chronic health education and awareness to those living in Western Sydney. This program provides people with knowledge, confidence and intention to change in order to manage or prevent chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The LAYH Program includes face-to-face three-hour workshops, as well as a YouTube series consisting of videos available in Mandarin, Korean, and Arabic and a version culturally tailored for the Filipino community.
To date, the program has targeted people who speak Korean, Hindi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Turkish and Punjabi. These programs are either delivered by a clinician who can speak in multiple languages, or an interpreter is used.
For more information, contact the Commissioning team at commissioning@wentwest.com.au
The Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Program (PPDP) is a lifestyle diabetes prevention and management program for Samoan communities delivered through churches. The program aims to build support to help facilitate lifestyle changes on a day-to-day basis. PPDP utilises person-centred motivational interviewing, peer support facilitation, community coach facilitation, lifestyle ideas to encourage sustainable healthy lifestyle change, educational and behaviour change support strategies and diabetes management strategies.
For more information, visit the Western Sydney University website.
We also have a range of free resources on diabetes management and prevention available online. Health professionals can access Western Sydney HealthPathways (username and password required) and community members can access Healthy Western Sydney.
Heart Disease
Every 30 minutes, one Australian loses their life to heart disease, yet it takes less than 30 minutes to conduct a heart health check and prevent this. In Western Sydney, many people face significant heart health challenges and have a higher chance of developing cardiovascular diseases compared to other regions.
The Western Sydney Cardiology program is a collaborative effort designed to improve the early detection of cardiovascular diseases. The program also supports the management of heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation to prevent serious illness and reduce the need to go to hospital.
More information is available on our Western Sydney Cardiology webpage.
Hepatitis
Western Sydney has the fourth highest prevalence of hepatitis B in the country with an estimated 13,089 people living with chronic hepatitis B. Only 19% of people living with hepatitis C have initiated treatment, making the region the second-lowest in NSW.
With effective treatments available to help manage hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C, Australia is leading the way for a future without viral hepatitis.
We’re working collaboratively with the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) to address the burden of viral hepatitis by supporting health professionals and community members across Western Sydney.
We also have a range of free resources on hepatitis treatment available online. Health professionals can access Western Sydney HealthPathways (username and password required) and community members can access Healthy Western Sydney.
Motivate C, is an HREC-approved, Australia-wide project evaluating the use of financial incentives to increase uptake of hep C antiviral therapies in primary care. The project is currently recruiting people living with chronic hepatitis C infection who have not initiated treatment. Adults with hepatitis C and Medicare card who haven’t been tested in the past four weeks are eligible to participate. To find out more, please visit the website.
Hepatitis NSW have developed some great videos on hepatitis to help explain what it is and how treatment can help:
Fitness and Physical Activity Initiatives
To provide accessible exercise to the Western Sydney community and address low levels of physical activity and high rates of obesity, we partnered with Live Life Get Active (LLGA) to run fitness camps and exercise classes in our region. Sessions are available for yoga, boxing or cross-training, and generally run for 45 minutes.
Exercise classes are available as daily live streams and on-demand classes online, where you can also access information on nutrition and wellness. These videos are available free to anyone who would like to access them, more information can be found on the LLGA webpage.
Fitness camps are available in a face-to-face, welcoming environment in multiple locations across Western Sydney:
- Kellyville
- Lidcombe
- Merrylands
- Parramatta
- Rouse Hill
- Toongabbie
- Telopea
You can register to become a member of LLGA and book a face-to-face or virtual class online. Visit their website for more information.
We’ve partnered with the Heart Foundation to introduce patient-lead GP walking groups aimed at improving overall patient health. These walking groups are an inexpensive and effective method of encouraging people to increase their physical activity which can help prevent and manage diabetes, reduce the risk of heart disease and manage their weight.
Currently due to COVID-19 the GP walking groups are on hold, until further notice. Visit the Health Foundation website for more information on how to remain active during this time.
General Practice Pharmacist
The Western Sydney General Practice Pharmacist Program involves the integration of pharmacists into general practices in Western Sydney to work collaboratively as part of the patient care team and forms part of a collaborative, patient-centred primary care model. The project was designed in partnership with the University of Sydney and is supported by the Western Sydney Local Health District.
A General Practice Pharmacist (GPP) is a non-dispensing pharmacist who delivers clinical and education services to patients within the general practice setting. The GPP is integrated as a member of the patient care team to foster true team-based care and support the Patient Centred Medical Home principles. Their role complements the dispensing role undertaken by community pharmacists but can bring core pharmacist skills into the general practice setting.
Integrated Care Program
The Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program improves health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic health conditions through access to care coordination, multidisciplinary care and self-management support. It improves access to culturally appropriate, mainstream primary care services, including general practice, allied health and specialists. The program also provides cultural awareness training to medical professionals. Find out more on the website.
Progressing Health Now
Find out more about our other Services and Programs available for Western Sydney community members.
