Left to right – Ms Lindsay Cane AM: WentWest Board, Conjoint Professor Diana O’Halloran AO: WentWest Chair, Steven Adams: WentWest Board, Jane Assange: WentWest, Anthea Markham: WentWest, Dr Michael Fasher: WentWest, Dr Norman Swan AM, Michelle Quinn: WentWest and Andrew Newton: WentWest CEO.
Last week, we hosted the landmark all-day event, the 2024 Impact West Primary Care Summit, at Rosehill Racecourse. The event united our primary care community in Western Sydney, fostering meaningful connections and collaboration to shape the future of health care in our region. The day was full of insightful discussions, led by a remarkable lineup of speakers presenting on a range of topics including support for our most vulnerable populations, culturally appropriate care, community-driven solutions on health and social priorities, effective management of chronic and complex conditions and strategies for building a workforce to meet future needs. They also explored how Western Sydney can set the standard for primary care as we look toward 2030.
Dr Norman Swan, AM FRCP, DCH, FAHMS, MD Hon Causa, a multi-award-winning health and medical broadcaster, journalist and commentator, emceed the event. As host and creator of the Health Report on ABC Radio National, he offered an insightful perspective on Australia’s primary care landscape.
Keynote speaker, Dr Daniel Nour, founder of Street Side Medics, shared his inspiring journey to becoming a health professional. He discussed the lifesaving care he and the street side medics team has provided for so many disadvantaged people who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks. “What we do in Western Sydney is lay a brick every hour. It’s only when we look back that we realise the impact we have had.”
Dr Norman Swan interviewed our Board Chair Di O’Halloran about reforming the Australian primary care landscape to ensure people have access to equitable health care. “In terms of the ways forward, the evidence for what works has been steadily building for decades, and I believe that the next iteration of the National Health Reform Agreement (the NHRA) – agreed between the Commonwealth and states-territories, holds the key to achieving an equitable, integrated and sustainable health system. We need to be strong advocates, persuading all levels of government that significant health system reform is needed right now, pursued with boldness – and supported by new investment in quality, outcomes, equity and change management.
Andrew Newton, WentWest CEO said “Health care is a shared responsibility throughout community, with the pandemic being the finest demonstration of how we can come together in health care across Western Sydney. We know there are socioeconomic challenges impacting health, particularly in Western Sydney, and successful team-based initiatives have been established here. The Impact West Primary Care Summit highlighted the desire to work together and how best to support our community and health care providers”.
Visit our Impact West Primary Care Summit webpage to view the full list of speakers, discussion topics and photos from the event. To register for more of our upcoming events, visit our website.
This information is correct of 26 September 2024.