Professor Anne-Marie Hennessy AM, Deputy Executive Dean Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney; Dr Keith McDonald, CEO of South Western Sydney Primary Health Network; Kate Tye, Executive Manager Primary Care Development at Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network; and Andrew Newton, CEO of WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
On Friday 23 August, the 2024 Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Future Health Forum was held, bringing together health care professionals, industry pioneers, policymakers and stakeholders from the region to discuss current health care challenges and solutions. As part of the agenda, Andrew Newton, CEO of WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, Dr Keith McDonald, CEO of South Western Sydney Primary Health Network, and Kate Tye, Executive Manager of Primary Care Development at Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, spoke on a panel about building an accessible, affordable and effective health care system.
The panel speakers discussed a range of topics including the shortage of GPs across NSW, particularly in high-need areas and the review of the Workforce Incentive Program in ensuring a sustainable workforce beyond GPs. Andrew, who recently transitioned from the acute sector to primary health, acknowledged the pressures on the acute sector but emphasised the challenges in Western Sydney: “I want to comment on how hard the GPs are working in Western Sydney… there is an increasing demand and supply issue, but it’s wider than GPs, it’s practice nurses and allied health practitioners.”
Keith advocated for reinstating the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program, which was abolished in the 2014/15 Federal Budget and expanding the single employer model for registrars. He also expressed optimism about the Strengthening Medicare Review.
Kate suggested revising the Modified Monash Model to provide eligibility exemptions for workforce incentives. She emphasised the need to explore nuances for places like Katoomba which are being classified as a major city, however, lack resources and are competing with urban areas like Parramatta and Sydney for workforce incentives. She was enthusiastic about the potential of the 10-year Primary Health Care Plan, calling it the most significant reform in Australian primary care.
On the topic of optimising digital health tools, Keith highlighted the transformative potential of a unified patient record system that bridges both acute and primary care. In addition, Andrew highlighted the need for not only digital interoperability but also strong collaboration between primary and acute care to ensure the single digital patient record benefits the patient above all else.
The Health Forum provided a valuable opportunity to collaborate with others in the region to enhance system integration and coordination, while also promoting equity and empowerment of communities and health professionals in Western Sydney. We would like to extend our appreciation to Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue and all partners involved in the GWS Future Health Forum for this opportunity.
This information is accurate as of 29 August 2024.