North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) is working with the Australian Government to build better health care services for the residents of the City of Hume – but we can’t do it without help from locals.
So, we’re looking for some wise and eager people to join us, some general practices and allied health professionals to plan a whole new way of looking after patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
What’s involved?
We’re holding three workshops during September and October. The final dates will be confirmed soon.
Each workshop will run for two hours, during business hours, and we’ll pay you to join in.
Ideally, participants will be available for all three sessions, but we can accommodate those who can attend one or two.
What’s the idea?
As part of the Australian Government’s Strengthening Medicare reforms, we’re testing whether there’s a better way to help people with chronic conditions.
We’ve called this the ‘Health Care Neighbourhood Project’ and the idea is to see whether long-term health issues can be better treated by a team of professionals rather than just a single doctor.
This is called ‘multidisciplinary team care’ and it’s a different way to manage chronic conditions. There’s a lot of research that shows that having GPs, allied health professionals and patients all working together results in better outcomes and helps keep people out of hospital.
But making sure all this is geared to each community is very important – which is why we want to see how it can work best in Hume.
Who is involved?
Four general practices in the region are excited to be taking part in this project. They are:
- Doy Street Medical Centre
- Roxburgh Park Doctors
- Merrifield City Medical Centre
- DPV Health Medical & Dental Centre – Broadmeadows.
In addition, there are several allied health providers – nurses and social workers – who are very keen to be involved.
Now all we need is you – our community voice
But who are you?
You can be anyone, as long as you live in the Hume local government area.
You don’t need to have any particular qualifications – just an interest in helping to make health care better for locals.
You can be an adult of any age, any heritage, any background, any gender.
Is there anyone who can’t be involved?
The only locals who can’t join our workshops are patients registered with the four general practices working with us. This is to make sure no one has a potential conflict of interest.
Where will the workshops be held?
At NWMPHN’s offices in Bourke St, Docklands – just a five-minute walk from Southern Cross Station.
We realise that can be quite a journey for some people, so we’ll help you out with transport costs as well as paying you for your time.
What are participants required to do?
At the workshops, community members can have their say on the project’s design. They will also work in small groups, alongside health professionals, to determine how these ideas could be implemented in a practice setting.
Interested?
We’re making a list of people who want to help. To be on it, fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch.
We look forward to hearing from you!
