Corporate Archives | Page 2 of 4 | South Western Sydney PHN

26 March 2025

A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Green Valley area, the expansion of bulk bulling to all Australians and investment in the primary care workforce, were among some of the health-focused features of last night’s Federal Budget.

In handing down the government’s fourth and final budget ahead of the next election in May, Treasurer Jim Chalmers described “Strengthening Medicare” as one of the government’s five key priorities.

“[This investment] will make Medicare even stronger, help with cost-of-living pressures and ensure every Australian receives the best healthcare that they deserve,” Mr Chalmers said.

If re-elected, the government has committed $644 million to open another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country, including one at Green Valley.

The new clinic would join five other urgent care sites in South Western Sydney – including sites at Campbelltown, Liverpool, Fairfield, Bankstown and Gregory Hills – providing medical care for non-life threatening conditions.

South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, welcomed the announcement, saying the region’s existing urgent care sites had been an increasingly popular option with the local community seeking care for minor illnesses and injuries, when their regular doctor was unavailable.

“Many patients have told us they would have sought care at an emergency department if urgent care hadn’t been available to them,” he said. “These sites are open extended hours and are fully bulk billed for those with a Medicare card.”

Another budget commitment of note was $7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians. A new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program will provide additional funding to GPs and GP practices which bulk bill all their patients. The government expects the investment to deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits each year by 2030.

The government also pledged $662.6 million to grow the primary healthcare workforce, through training and retaining more doctors, nurses and midwives, if re-elected.

This includes $265.2 million to expand GP training, with an extra 200 training places per year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 places per year from 2028; $248.7 million for salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in general practice; $10.5 million for 400 scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills.

Dr McDonald said the government’s commitment to investing in the general practice workforce was encouraging, particularly in a region like South Western Sydney where rapid population growth was being experienced alongside pockets of disadvantage.

“Parts of our community have health needs which are significantly higher than average,” he said. “We are also experiencing a decline in bulk billing GPs, and an undersupply of GPs combined with a high proportion of GPs nearing retirement age.

“Boosts to incentives to expand bulk billing and measures to attract GPs and nurses to general practice, will support the work SWSPHN is currently undertaking to attract and retain primary carers in our region.”

The budget also included:

$3.2 billion total investment in cheaper medicines, including $689 million in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to make four out of five PBS medicines cheaper, with a prescription to cost no more than $25 under the scheme.
$792.9 million for women’s health, including larger Medicare payments and more bulk billing for IUDs and birth control implants; a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments and funding to train health professionals; the first PBS listing for new menopausal hormone therapies in more than 20 years; and 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics treating more conditions.

Other recently announced investments in health include:

$31.2 million to develop a new framework to deliver virtual nursing support in aged care, focusing on residential aged care providers in rural and remote areas, and those who support older people of First Nations or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
$69 million to ensure support is available for people affected by suicide and distress, including additional funding for suicide prevention services, community support programs, health promotion campaigns and research, through the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program.
$135.2 million for free digital and online mental health supports, including a first-of-its-kind Australian digital mental health service for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
$5.4 million for increasing health literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The funding will allow the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health to deliver the Health in My Language (HiML) program across the country. Health education sessions are delivered in the participants’ own languages, ensuring the information is accessible, culturally appropriate and safe.

06 December 2024

SWSPHN has welcomed Michelle Cutler as our newest Board Member.

Michelle has extensive experience in governance, legal issues management, organisational and data strategy, and community engagement.

With past CEO roles in the health, legal and social services sectors, she brings a practical and impact-focused approach to community-based service delivery and stakeholder engagement.

Michelle is a former finance lawyer and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and currently acts as an advisor to social purpose organisations, where she helps boards and CEOs enhance their impact and deliver on their strategic goals.

Her work encompasses advising organisations on governance, regulatory and compliance issues, data and financial management issues, stakeholder engagement as well as funding.

As the immediate past National CEO of Community Legal Centres Australia and previously the National General Manager of OzHarvest, Michelle has experience in ensuring the delivery of critical community-based services across Australia, including to some of our most diverse and economically and socially disadvantaged people and communities.

She brings strong experience in working closely and collaboratively with stakeholders, including members, peak industry bodies, government, universities and corporate entities to ensure alignment of strategic aims, service delivery, funding requirements and to deliver positive impact for communities.

Currently, she serves as Chair of the Board of Shaun Parker and Company, a contemporary dance company known for its diversity and social advocacy and was previously on the board of a community housing provider supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence, and Give a Smile, an initiative providing free orthodontic care to children on public dental waiting lists.

She is passionate about working collaboratively with local organisations for the benefit of their communities, empower individuals with knowledge and resources and using wide ranging consultation to advocate for better community services for those who need them.

06 November 2024

Women’s health matters – the GP conference highlighted this theme at Rydges Hotel in Campbelltown on Sunday, November 3.

Presented by South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN), the conference attracted 79 GPs from across the region. All were keen to hear the latest updates in women’s health and take part in lively question and answer sessions.

The role of GPs in supporting women’s health

GPs play a significant role in women’s health. Women’s health related matters are the fifth most reported reason for visits to general practice.

Women experience different health outcomes and can present with health conditions differently to men. They also experience family, sexual and domestic violence at a significantly higher rate.

Given these factors it is important for GPs to recognise the signs and symptoms of many different health conditions. They must understand treatment options and referral pathways available. GPs are also the first contact for many women planning to have children, or after birth, and these periods can be vital for preventing negative health outcomes.

Topics covered

A range of guest speakers covered women’s health topics at the one-day conference. These included managing pre-pregnancy for women with diabetes, postnatal physiotherapy guidelines, breast cancer survivorship, stroke in women, and menopause services.

SWSPHN’s Kathryn Dovey said dividing the day into different subject streams gave the GPs a chance to concentrate on what interested them most.

“There was variation in the streams with different topics proving popular, but the number one choice out of all the options was the talk about menopause,” Ms Dovey said.

Positive feedback and high engagement

“Some GPs commented that they struggled to choose a talk because they were all equally interesting and they wished they had been able to attend all of the sessions.”

Ms. Dovey said attendees warmly received the guest speakers, who represented a wide range of respected professions within their specialties.

“There was a lot of engagement and interest in the opening plenary which was on endometriosis and pelvic pain as well as on the closing one which was about family, sexual and domestic violence,” she said.

“Questions were asked throughout presentations, and the GPs were very engaged, happy to participate in the Menti quizzes and discussions. Those present appeared to really enjoy the day. There was a lot of positive energy and comments around how great it was, only with a desire to have more days like this.”

Explore more upcoming events by clicking here for details.

04 September 2024

Christine Carriage brings experience and passion to her new role on the SWSPHN Board.

SWSPHN has welcomed Christine Carriage as our newest Board Member.

Christine has taken up the position of appointed Non-Executive Board Director, and brings to the role extensive experience in, and a passion for, supporting culturally appropriate care for Indigenous communities.

Christine is an Aboriginal woman and Traditional Owner of Gunai/Kurnai and Yuin heritage whose leadership roles have always emphasised cultural safety, integrity, and incorporating traditional knowledge and practices into healthcare delivery.

She also has an in-depth understanding of the healthcare needs of the Indigenous community in South Western Sydney.

Christine’s experience includes:

South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) Board where she gained a comprehensive understanding of healthcare governance, policy development and strategic planning within a local health district
Chair of the Aboriginal Health Board Committee where she led a committee comprising community members, LHD and PHN representatives to advocate for Aboriginal health initiatives and implement strategies to address health disparities
Employment with the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association where she provided culturally-centred research, guided strategic direction for improving Indigenous health outcomes and fostered strategic partnerships to develop a culturally safe healthcare system

Christine also currently serves on the Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service Board.

11 July 2024

Value for money and access to quality healthcare were the subjects of discussion when SWSPHN CEO, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, joined other health sector advocates at a luncheon hosted by the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue in Parramatta on Wednesday, 10 July.

Representatives from Greater Western Sydney’s local health districts, primary health networks, private hospitals and other community representatives joined Federal Health Minister Mark Butler to discuss the Federal Government’s solutions to improve access, affordability and availability of healthcare services across the region.

A particular focus of discussion was the critical role played by primary healthcare centred around general practice, and the need to better integrate it with both hospital and aged care.

Mr Butler also discussed the success, and continued roll-out, of its Urgent Care Clinics, which are helping to reduce the pressure on public hospital emergency departments.

The Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue was established in 2015 to shine a light on key issues in the region, spark debate and nurture a national conversation about the Greater West in order to better shape it for the future.

The non-profit regional think tank aims to connect the right people, influence progress and effect positive social and economic change.

Greater Western Sydney has one of the youngest, fastest growing and most diverse populations in the nation.

As of the 2021 census 41 per cent of Greater Western Sydney residents were born overseas, the top countries being India, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Iraq and Lebanon.

Almost half (46 per cent) of the region’s population speak a language other than English.

Around three per cent identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.

CAPTION: Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue CEO Adam Leto (from left), SWSPHN CEO Dr Keith McDonald, NBMPHN CEO Lizz Reay, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler and WentWest CEO Andrew Newton at the healthcare luncheon held in Parramatta.

15 May 2024

South Western Sydney residents will benefit from a boost in funding for additional Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and a network of new Medicare Mental Health Centres – two of the standout commitments from last night’s Federal Budget.

In handing down the government’s third budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said overall spending on health and aged care in 2024-25 would be $146.1 billion, including investments to strengthen Medicare ($2.8 billion), deliver cheaper medicines ($4.3 billion) and invest in a fit and healthy Australia ($1.3 billion).

The government committed $227 million in last night’s budget to increase the number of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics by 29 to 87, enabling more patients to receive fully-bulk billed urgent care from GPs or nurses in more locations.

A $361 million boost over four years to the range of free mental health services was also announced, including funding for 61 walk-in Medicare Mental Health Centres, building on the established Head to Health network. The centres will provide free, walk-in access to a psychologist or psychiatrist for adults with complex and high mental health needs.

This investment includes funding Primary Health Networks to work in partnership with general practice to provide mental health nurses and other allied health workers, for free wraparound care and support to patients with complex needs, in between GP and specialist appointments.

South Western Sydney PHN Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said the bolstering of access to bulk-billed services both through Urgent Care Clinics and new mental health measures was welcome at a time when the cost of living was impacting access to healthcare.

Dr McDonald said the Australia Bureau of Statistics found the proportion of people who reported delaying or not going to a GP due to the cost grew from 7 per cent 2022-23 compared to 3.5 per cent in 2021-22.

“South Western Sydney was lucky enough to benefit from the opening of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) at Campbelltown Medical and Dental last December,” he said.

“The UCC has made it easier for local residents to access free, high quality care from highly trained GPs and nurses, while freeing up emergency departments to focus on life threatening emergencies,’’ he said.

“We’re looking forward to future announcements about the expansion of the network to additional sites across our region.”

Other announcements of note in last night’s budget include:

$91.1 million to boost the supply of healthcare in areas of shortage, including Primary Health Networks supporting health services at risk of closing.
$882.2 million to ensure older people get the medical support they need. This includes funding to upskill the residential aged care workforce and provide virtual care services, and deliver complex care for older people outside of the hospital.
From 1 August 2024, people in residential aged care will be more likely to receive quality and continuous care from a GP, with GPs and practices eligible to receive quarterly incentive payments, on top of Medicare rebates, to manage the health of their MyMedicare registered residents.
$1.4 billion to upgrade technology systems and digital infrastructure across the aged care sector in preparation for the new Aged Care Act.
$38.8 million for people aged 45 to 49 to join already eligible 50 to 74-year-olds in screening for bowel cancer by requesting a free test kit.
$598.9 million for the continuation of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program to enable vaccinations to prevent severe COVID-19 disease.
$588.5 million over eight years for a national low intensity digital mental health service, which is free of charge and free of need for referral.
$35.9 million over four years to extend terminating mental health measures, to enhance the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services and to provide greater funding certainty for service providers. $21 million of this will fund the PHN Targeted Regional Initiatives for Suicide Prevention (TRISP) for 2024-25.
Indexation on Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates is expected to deliver almost $900 million in additional benefits in 2024-25. This is on top of around $940 million in additional Medicare benefits already delivered in 2023-24.
Students in nursing, midwifery and social work will benefit from the establishment of a Commonwealth Prac Payment. This will support them while they undertake mandatory placements required for higher education and vocational education and training qualifications. Eligible students will be able to access $319.50 per week during their clinical and professional placement periods.

20 March 2024

Find out about our 2024 Corporate Charity

The votes are in and staff have chosen Bears of Hope as this year’s recipients of SWSPHN’s Corporate Charity fundraising activities throughout the year.

Bears of Hope provides support and care for families who experience the loss of their baby during pregnancy, birth or infancy.

The not-for-profit organisation is managed by a dedicated team of bereaved parents, offering counselling, grief workshops, grief wellness groups and other resources.

Bears of Hope’s underlying belief is that:

“No parent should feel alone in their grief.”

“You have lost a precious little life, and you may need to lean on others to cope with the heartbreak and the grief. Our hope is that we can embrace you with a network of care and support so you don’t have to grieve in silence.”

Bears of Hope’s Support Services Coordinator, Kelly Merchant, joined SWSPHN’s March staff meeting to talk about her organisation’s work and the loss which moved her to seek out Bears of Hope.

Why is the work of Bears of Hope important?

Kelly said studies had shown grieving families felt safer and less isolated if they knew there were people to support them.

“That starts for us in the hospital,” she said. “We supply support packages to be passed on to families before they leave their baby, to give parents a little knowledge about our services and to make them feel supported from the very beginning of their loss.

“Within those packs there’s literature, a journal and information about our supports. These packs are sometimes left unopened for month. It’s all about choice. It’s all about when families feel ready.”

Kelly said Bears of Hope was started by – and is still led by – two women who had lost their own children and felt there were no services out there for them, and were isolated in their own loss.

“They found each other, and it started with the idea of going into a hospital and donating a bear to provide parents with the comfort of knowing that they’re not alone,” she said. “From there, we’ve grown into a nationwide organisation which provides counselling, workshops and information.”

Kelly, a registered clinical counsellor, joined Bears of Hope after experiencing her own losses – that of her nephew who passed away suddenly in 2000 and the full-term stillbirth of her second child in 2007.

“I came across Bears of Hope at their annual benefit ball and was drawn to the commitment they had to supporting parents,” she said.

“Our overall goal is to have an impact on parents’ grieving and healing by reducing the loneliness, isolation and anxiety.

“We like to think we can empower parents with information and support choices which meet their needs. That’s really important. Grief is such an out-of-control experience, something that’s not familiar to a lot of people, we want them to be able to feel that it doesn’t have control over them.”

What supports does Bears of Hope offer?

Kelly said through Bears of Hope, it was most often families who donated a bear to another family experiencing loss, in honour of the baby they were remembering.

But, she said, the bears were just one way Bears of Hope acknowledged, comforted and guided families through their loss.

“Cuddle Cots are a really amazing invention which we provide to hospitals to keep a baby cooler so parents can spend more time with them and have them in their room with them for longer,” Kelly said.

“Our approach to supporting parents isn’t about removing or curing someone’s pain. It’s about what we can do to help support them and to be able to give them a voice and a safe space to be able to talk about their child in a way that every parent is entitled to.”

Other supports include:

a support line, 1300 11 HOPE – grief counsellors available to listen with compassion and understanding
grief workshops – a national program of healing workshops on surviving grief and learning how to live through it
grief wellness groups – parent-led informal gatherings of bereaved parents who are seeking support or wishing to support others
awareness and fundraising campaigns – like Beards of Hope and Choosing Hope Walks – and participation in activities – like the Bowral Classic and Sydney City2Surf
online resources for health professionals – with therapeutic tips, brochures with resources for families and referral pathways

Kelly thanked SWSPHN staff for their support, saying Bears of Hope had a small, but “mighty” and hard-working team which continued to provide support to families at no cost through donations from larger organisations like ours.

Learn more about Bears of Hope

Visit our Go Fund Me page to donate

06 March 2024

South Western Sydney PHN welcomes the release of the report and recommendations of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) into the Effectiveness of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s (DoHAC) Performance Management of Primary Health Networks.

The report, released last week, highlighted eight recommendations for ensuring compliance with grant requirements, for the improvement of performance reporting to DoHAC, improved performance measures for the PHN program, IT systems for monitoring and reporting, data assurance, and evaluation by DoHAC into the PHN delivery model.

Seven recommendations outlined in the report were accepted by DoHAC, one was agreed to in principle.

SWSPHN CEO, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said he welcomed the report and looked forward to more robust and transparent systems being implemented to support the reporting and evaluation of the work PHN’s do to improve the health of local residents and enhance and connect care to meet local health needs.

“The ANAO report was not an evaluation on the PHN delivery model or the effectiveness of PHNs, it was a report into the Department’s management of the PHN program as a whole,’’ Dr McDonald said.

“As all of you who work in local general practices know, SWSPHN is committed to continuous improvement in primary care and in our own organisation.

“We look forward to adhering to improved performance measures from DoHAC to show how we serve our communities, and the opportunity to better showcase the quality work we do and the value we add to the national health system.”

As a regional organisation, SWSPHN has a deep understanding of our community’s primary healthcare needs and can drive reform, integration and equitable access across the health and social care system.

As regional commissioners, we reduce service fragmentation and address unmet needs by working with our stakeholders to develop innovative models of care to address local needs.

“Our whole team is looking forward to working with the Department to implement the recommendations outlined,” Dr McDonald said.

02 November 2023

SWSPHN representatives attended the 2023 Asia-Pacific Health Leadership Congress in Canberra from 10 to 12 October, with the congress focusing on practical explorations for health leaders on how to survive and thrive through current and future challenges.

Our Executive Manager Corporate Services, Christine Turner, attended the conference with Acting Mental Health and Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD) Team Lead, Bessie Berberovic.

SWSPHN often sends members of its leadership team to the annual congress with the aim of enabling better leadership and, in turn, healthier communities.

Addressing some of the strategic challenges and successes faced by our sector, directly assists SWSPHN to better support the health of the South Western Sydney community.

Both Ms Berberovic (pictured top) and Mrs Turner (pictured bottom) presented at the conference.

Ms Berberovic highlighted SWSPHN’s No Wrong Door initiative as a collective commitment between local government, non-government and community organisations to work towards a no wrong door approach built around recovery-oriented practice.

The signatory organisations to the No Wrong Door Charter ensure people experiencing severe and persistent mental illness, and their families, are supported by a coordinated service system.

The No Wrong Door initiative and Framework demonstrated how change leadership evolves over time by continually identifying gaps, building on existing resources and co-designing solutions with key stakeholders.

Mrs Turner presented to the congress on staff retention, highlighting SWSPHN’s excellent workplace culture and diversity.

She demonstrated how SWSPHN has identified opportunities for improvements to retain our staff who bring to the organisation so many valuable skills and knowledge.

She also talked about the actions we have taken to reduce our employee turnover from 29 per cent to 15 per cent over the last 12 months.

Mrs Turner included an in-house EVP (employee value proposition) video to complement her presentation.

She said the EVP video authentically showed the audience our organisation and our people, rather than just talking about them.

The feedback from the audience about the video was affirming.

“The comment that resonated with me most was when an attendee said how impressive it is that we have been able to create such a great workplace culture with so much diversity in our staffing profile,” Mrs Turner said.

She added there was much to take out of attending any conference.

“There is always self-reflection and improvement opportunities gained, in this case with my own leadership in healthcare, but also how I coach and mentor other leaders across the business to be able to continue to a make positive impact on their teams and the broader community through our work,” Mrs Turner said.

“One comment has stuck with me and stands true through my own experiences and observations of other great leaders: Great leaders rise above the chaos; they don’t get drawn into it.”

No Wrong Door initiative

No Wrong Door organisations come together to ensure that, regardless of which door a person enters through the system, they are supported to access an appropriate service to meet their needs. Find out more

What’s the EVP project?

The project aims to uncover our authentic employee value proposition – what it means to work at SWSPHN, why people should join our organisation and why people stay – with the aim of recruiting the right people to help our teams thrive and shape our employer brand. Find out more

25 August 2023

South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) has a deep and ongoing commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health across our communities.

Our activities include commissioning services with our local Aboriginal community organisations; providing cultural awareness training to improve and support primary care; connecting with and planning Aboriginal health initiatives across South Western Sydney; and implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan across the organisation.

More than 20,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in South Western Sydney. Compared to our non-Aboriginal population there is a distressing gap in life expectancy and health outcomes. The socioeconomic determinants of health and wellbeing must be addressed.

The upcoming referendum proposes to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. It represents an historic opportunity to implement the recommendations from the Uluru Statement from the Heart, delivered at the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017.

Constitutional recognition will aid self-determination and help resolve the well-recognised inequalities facing First Nations communities.

In line with our commitment to closing the gap and improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and consistent with our Reconciliation Action Plan, SWSPHN endorses the recommendations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and supports constitutional change to establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.