Still Standing: Helping Older People Stay on their Feet
As people get older, they are more at risk of having a fall due to a combination of reduced strength, balance, reflexes, mobility along with deteriorating eyesight and hearing. Falling over can cause serious ongoing issues for older people. Broken bones and other serious complications require hospitalisation and can lead to continuing health issues […]
Addressing Mental Health Literacy in Western Sydney
31 March 2022 One of the greatest barriers to patients seeking mental health support can be the stigma, or perceived stigma, around accessing care. Mental health literacy is fundamental to improving a person’s health outcomes and achieving equal access to care for people of all backgrounds. “Currently, too many people who go to their GP […]
Data and Analysis – a catalyst for health system reform
14 April 2022 Traditionally, Australian health care data has been carefully stored in silos, seldom looked at again, and even more rarely used to inform or shape health system behaviours with respect to integrated care or population health outcomes. Even before its inception as the Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WSPHN), WentWest has been a […]
On the Pathway to Better Health Care for Western Sydney
Western Sydney HealthPathways is a valuable online resource providing health professionals with quick and easy access to up-to-date, evidence-based information, resources, and referral options on a range of clinical categories. In 2013, HealthPathways was launched as a partnership between the Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WSPHN), the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), and the […]
A Safe Space to Discuss Mental Health
17 March 2022 Safe Space is a welcoming community environment that allows people experiencing suicidal ideation and psychological distress to access timely and responsive support. The centre is run by trained mental health specialists, peer workers and support workers, who promote the wellbeing of clients outside of a clinical setting. Safe Space is a walk-in […]
Psychiatry Support Line connects GPs to Expert Mental Health Advice
9 March 2022 What is the GP Psychiatry Support Line? The Western Sydney Primary Health Network, has recently commissioned a GP Psychiatry Support Line to help primary care professionals access expert advice to support their patients. The program is designed to connect all GPs within Western Sydney access to telephone support to receive expert psychiatric […]
Working Together to Close the Gap
3 March 2022 Currently, the target to close the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians by 2031 is not on track[1]. Nationally, non-Aboriginal children are expected to live an average of 8.6 and 7.8 years longer than Aboriginal children[2]. Figures from 2019 show that 3 in 10 Aboriginal Australians who needed support […]
AOD Prison Transition Program Creates Pathways Home
26 February 2022 WentWest aims to help reform primary care by providing support to health care professionals, and commissioning health services that generate better health outcomes in Western Sydney. That means finding accessible solutions to support all members of our community. One of our commissioned providers, the Community Restorative Centre (CRC), provides through-care, post-release, […]
Urgent Care Service centres offer alternative to ED
17 February 2022 Over 40% of patients that present to Emergency Departments (ED) in Western Sydney are classified as triage category 4 and 5. These types of presentations could now potentially receive treatment outside of an ED, thanks to Value Based Urgent Care. The Value Based Urgent Care pathway aims to alleviate the pressure […]
Expanding Mental Health Services in Western Sydney
10 February 2022 Expansion of Primary Mental Health Care (PMHC) Service As of 1 February 2022, patients in Western Sydney can access almost double the number of free psychology sessions previously available. New funding to the Primary Mental Health Care (PMHC) service means that an additional 18,000 psychology sessions will be available to community members […]