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 on hospital Emergency Departments (ED) by equipping general practices with the resources to provide free urgent care services to patients needing treatment for non-life-threatening conditions. These enhanced general practices, known as Urgent Care Service (UCS) centres, will provide care options for patients with a minor illness or injury, such as a basic fracture, a skin tear needing stitching, wounds needing bandaging, and treatment for abscesses, bronchitis, gastroenteritis, or other minor infections.
General practices that become an Urgent Care Service centre will be able to expand the range and quality of care they are able to offer patients and pioneer innovative approaches to sustainable patient-centred health care. In addition, practices will support continuity of care for their patients in a primary care setting, be able to fill vacant appointments with UCS cases, and gain increased recognition in the National Health Service Directory. Practices will receive focused training in delivering urgent episodic care, access and guidance on integrating digital health solutions for quality improvement, and support with clinical re-design to enhance team-based care.
General practices in the Western Sydney region interested in becoming a UCS centre should complete the EOI form by Monday 21 March 2022.
For more information about becoming a UCS centre and the support, you will be provided with, read the Urgent Care Service Centre Prospectus. If you have any further questions, please contact wscarecollective@wentwest.com.au
Initial UCS Practice – Wentworthville Medical Centre
Wentworthville Medical and Dental Centre (a ForHealth practice) was set up as the first UCS centre in Western Sydney. Looking at the statistics from Wentworthville’s initial patient experience survey*, 94.2% of patients were very likely or likely to recommend the UCS centre to a family member or friend. 97.6% of patients were seen within 40 minutes of arrival, and 88.3% within 20 minutes.
Dr John Adie (National Urgent Care Medical Director, ForHealth), Richard Hoskins (Business Development Manager, ForHealth) and Diane Lowe (Practice Manager, Wentworthville Medical and Dental Centre), shared their experiences running the UCS centre to date:
The whole UCS experience so far has been incredible. The feedback we’ve had from patients has been amazing. It’s provided us with new opportunities to engage with patients and offer an innovative service to the community. This type of additional service is so vital in Western Sydney.
Last week we treated a woman with glass in her hand. She couldn’t express her gratitude enough for the amazing service she had received and her relief at not having to wait hours to be seen for a minor injury in ED.
From a business perspective, we take the motto ‘good medicine is good business’. The UCS and Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) models exemplify that idea. We are not only providing accessible community care that eases the burden on ED, but our practitioners also now have an opportunity to utilise their clinical training in new ways, participate in urgent pathways, and develop new skills. Our practice is working more closely with colleagues across the Healthcare Neighbourhood and our relationships with external partners, both in primary and acute care, has strengthened as we develop new referral avenues for UCS patient intake and aftercare.
We are still seeing our regular practice patients, we just now have the option for triage category 4 and 5 cases of referring them internally to our UCS centre, rather than calling an ambulance. Ultimately, we are delivering more diverse services to patients, and our clinicians have a greater variety of work and better support structures and resources to provide quality care.
Western Sydney Care Collective
The Urgent Care Service centres are part of the Value Based Urgent Care pathway under the ‘Western Sydney Care Collective’, a collaborative commissioning project that aims to drive value-driven, outcome-focused, patient-centred care across the entire care continuum. A joint initiative between the Western Sydney Primary Health Network and the Western Sydney Local Health District, pathways developed under the Care Collective program focus on providing the best outcome for patients by providing cohesive, coordinated care across community, general practice and hospital settings.
There are two pathways of care currently in operation; Cardiology in Community and Value Based Urgent Care. Both pathways have been co-designed by GPs, hospital physicians and consumers. Cardiology in Community is designed to improve access to cardiac screening, identify people with or at risk of cardiovascular disease, and manage atrial fibrillation within primary care settings.
UCS centres will significantly change the way the health system works in our region. The Western Sydney Care Collective presents an opportunity to redefine care across the primary and acute health sectors and ensure that patients receive quality, consistent care in a timely manner.
Submit an EOI to become a UCS now.