Primary Care Access
Healthy North Coast has commissioned a number of new services to improve access to primary care for the whole region:
North Coast Health Connect
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics
Strengthening Medicare Reforms
24/7 confidential health support from Registered Nurses, local GPs or Pharmacists via phone or web chat.
Urgent Care Clinic provides bulk-billed, walk-in medical services for urgent, non life-threatening conditions.
With significant reforms planned for Medicare, a comprehensive package of improved healthcare measures.
Early Insights
Independent evaluation of the Primary Care Access Program is being conducted by The George Institute of Global Health. Read early insights on:
- The expansion of the NCHC across the region has seen an increase in monthly NCHC caller volume, overall and by priority populations, coinciding with roll out to new areas.
- Half of the triaged calls are being accessed by young people and by residents of priority SA3s (Port Macquarie, Kempsey/Nambucca, Clarence Valley, Richmond Valley Hinterland), with +85% of these groups are reaching triage.
- At triage, 1 in 8 people are being provided an integrated GP and pharmacy appointment through NCHC, with higher representation of people residing in priority SA3s (1 in 4), but fewer young people.
- Overall, and by priority populations, around a third of calls were on weekends and after hours.
- The health-seeking intention of priority populations is being influenced by NCHC triage outcomes.
Solutions Co-design
Service solutions co-design (November 2021 – February 2022)
In late 2021 and early 2022, consumers, experts, service providers and local stakeholders participated in a range of co-design workshops to explore new and innovative approaches to accessing primary care.
Workshop facilitators Social Ventures Australia synthesised the co-design sessions:
- Synthesis of sessions 1 and 2 (PDF, 1 MB)
- Synthesis of session 3 (PDF, 322 KB)
- Combined synthesis of sessions 1, 2 and 3 (PDF, 387 KB)
- Synthesis of session 4 including feedback from consumer testing session 3(a) Kempsey (PDF, 615 KB)
North Coast Health Connect commenced rollout in December 2022, with full region coverage in 2023.
Case for Change
Analyses health system utilisation and shows concerning trends across the Healthy North Coast region.
Hear what young people had to say to our social researchers about their experience accessing and using primary care.
Further region wide reports
