Outcome 5: Primary Care > Performance Information

Result: Indicator met.

Thirteen high quality research projects were approved or funded in 2007–08 through the Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development Strategy including:

• eight research grants under round two of the priority-driven General Practice Clinical Research Program, at a cost of around $4.153 million;
• three Primary Health Care Junior Scholarships at a cost of around $200,000;
• one Primary Health Care Fellowship at a cost of around $274,000; and
• one project under the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute's travelling fellowship (Stream 8) program, at a cost of around $15,000.

A number of small projects were also supported by the Research Capacity Building Initiative and the Researcher Development Program.

In addition, several research projects announced and reported in previous years continued to receive funding throughout 2007–08.

Research was also funded to build the primary health care research evidence base across a range of priority areas including:

• Indigenous health (including tobacco control and diabetes care);
• childhood obesity;
• advanced cancer carer support; and
• cardiovascular disease risk assessment.

Result: Indicator substantially met.

National Health Call Centre Network

The National Health Call Centre Network provided access to health triage, information and advice to 20% of Australia's population by the end of 2007–08. Full network services were available to people in the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. Network services commenced rolling out in New South Wales in August 2008.

Round the Clock Medicare Program

Ninety-four after hours general practice services had funding approved pending final negotiations or funding agreements executed under the former Round the Clock Medicare: Investing in After Hours GP Services Program funding round in 2007–08.

The Department approved 81 new applications for funding pending final negotiations of contracts following the 2007–08 (Round 3) funding round under the program. Contracts for a further 13 grant offers from previous rounds were also executed in 2007–08. Of the 81 new applications approved, a total of 57 contracts could be executed with successful applicants. Negotiations with the remaining 24 services approved for funding continue.

After Hours Primary Medical Care Program

The Department continued to fund a range of services through the former After Hours Primary Medical Care Program in 2007–08, including four regional projects covering Tasmania, the Hunter and Macarthur regions in New South Wales, and the Grampians region in Victoria. Ten service development grants in targeted areas were also funded in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

GP Super Clinics

A major achievement was the establishment of the GP Super Clinics program, which will support 31 clinics to provide multi-disciplinary primary care in areas with poor access to primary care services.
The Department had expected to commission six GP Super Clinics by September 2008.

Funding agreements were finalised with two GP Super Clinics in Bendigo and Ballan in 2007–08. The Department focused on publishing the GP Super Clinics National Program Guide (April 2008), developing a fair and transparent framework for the funding processes required to establish the GP Super Clinics, and planning towards local consultation in each of the 31 localities. In 2008–09, the focus will be to continue the progressive roll out of the program, with public information and consultation sessions in the identified localities. Invitations to apply for funding to establish and operate a GP Super Clinic will then follow in most localities. The Department anticipates that a further eight GP Super Clinics will be commissioned in 2008.

Result: Indicator met.

A total of 619 registrars commenced on the Australian General Practice Training Program in 2007.

Result: Indicator met.

Two hundred and eighty available prevocational general practice placements were taken up through the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program compared with 210 in 2006–07. This was an increase of 33% from last year.

Result: Indicator substantially met.

The After Hours Other Medical Practitioners Program and the MedicarePlus Other Medical Practitioners Program provide access to the higher Medicare rebate for eligible medical practitioners delivering general practice services. By requiring program participants to undertake continued professional development, the programs aim to improve the quality of general practice services provided by these doctors.

In 2007–08, 697 non-vocationally recognised medical practitioners undertook continued professional development activities through general practice incentive programs, compared with 609 in 2006–07. This was an increase of 14%.

Result: Indicator met.

The Department managed a number of programs in 2007–08 that provided financial and other support to general practitioners to deliver services to rural and remote communities:

• 407 participants received payments under the HECS Reimbursement Scheme, which reimburses doctors their HECS debt when they train and work in rural areas. This is a 30% increase on the number of participants receiving payments in 2006–07;
• 1,890 doctors received payments under the Training for Rural and Remote Procedural General Practitioners Program, which provides practitioners with financial grants to maintain their procedural skills. This is a 23% increase on the number of doctors receiving payments in 2006–07;
• 2,100 doctors received financial incentives under the Rural Retention Program, which provides financial incentives to general practitioners to practice in rural and remote Australia. This was an increase of 38 over the number receiving these incentives in 2006–07; and
• seven Rural Workforce Agencies were supported by the Rural and Remote General Practitioner Program, to attract, recruit and retain doctors in rural and remote Australia.

Result: Indicator substantially met.

A total 97.6%, or 122 of the 125 Divisions of General Practice Network members (including the eight State Based Organisations and the Australian General Practice Network), were accredited by June 2008. The three network members who did not achieve accreditation were involved in amalgamations or similar processes and were granted extensions to their accreditation timeframes.

Result: Indicator met.

100%, or all 116 Divisions, eight State Based Organisations and the Australian General Practice Network met the minimum reporting requirements under the National Quality and Performance System. This included providing Annual Plans and Budgets, six month and 12 month reports and reporting against national and local performance indicators.

Result: Indicator met.

The proportion of general practice patient care provided by practices participating in the Practice Incentives Program increased from 81.2% in May 2007 to 81.4% in May 2008. The number of practices participating in the Practice Incentives Program increased by 44 from the previous year to a total of 4,938.

Result: Indicator met.

Bulk Billing Incentives

In 2007–08, there were 61.4 million claims by general practitioners for services bulk billed to children under the age of 16 years and Commonwealth concession card holders. This compares with 57.7 million in 2006–07.

The national bulk billing rate for non-referred (general practitioner) attendances, excluding practice nurse items, increased from 77.4% at the end of 2006–07 to 78.5%. The total number of services claimed for non-referred (general practitioner) attendances, excluding practice nurse items, rose from 103.4 million in 2006–07 to 109.5 million in 2007–08, while the total of all Medicare services rose from 257.9 million in 2006–07 to 278.7 million in 2007–08.

Practice Nurse Services on Behalf of a General Practitioner

A total of 5.2 million practice nurse services were claimed in 2007–08 compared with 3.7 million in 2006–07.

Chronic Disease Management Items

Around 2.1 million general practice Chronic Disease Management services were claimed in 2007–08 compared with more than 1.6 million in 2006–07.

Enhanced Primary Care Allied Health Items

More than 1.3 million allied health services were claimed in 2007–08 compared with around 0.9 million in 2006–07.

Better Access Mental Health Care Items

More than 3.2 million services were claimed in 2007–08 compared with 1.2 million 2006–07 (8 months only).

Result: Indicator met.

The Department funded an increased number of Medicare-eligible Indigenous health assessment items in 2007–08. By the end of June 2008, 32,343 services had been provided, an increase of 779 services compared with the previous financial year.

A Medicare item for the provision of monitoring and support to people with a chronic disease care plan by a practice nurse or registered Aboriginal Health Worker on behalf of a general practitioner was introduced on 1 July 2007. It is not possible to identify the number of services that were provided by registered Aboriginal Health Workers from the total number of services provided under this Medicare item number.

Result: Indicator met.

Ministers were satisfied with the advice provided by the Department for Australian Government decision-making. This is on par with ministerial satisfaction in 2006–07.

Result: Indicator met.

During 2007–08, the Department managed the Australian Government's Primary Health Care Research and Development Strategy which included the following research activities:

• the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute publication of various evidence-based research papers to support primary health care workforce policy development;
• the development and launch of the Snapshot of Australian Primary Health Care Research publication which includes policy relevant examples of primary health care research in Australia; and
• the annual General Practice and Primary Health Care Research Conference to disseminate research and the sharing of information between researchers, policy advisors, practitioners and consumers.

Result: Indicator not met.

Funds were overspent by 1.0% of budget due to actual expenditure being more than estimated for Program 5.1 Primary Education and Training.

Result: Indicator met.

In 2007–08, the Department held formal stakeholder meetings with local community groups and health professionals to develop and implement the GP Super Clinics initiative. These meetings provided the opportunity to identify community concerns, ensuring that clinics will meet local health needs.

The Department also conducted regular meetings throughout the year with key stakeholders including the Australian Medical Association, the Australian General Practice Network, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. These meetings provided the Department with an opportunity to identify and respond to stakeholders' concerns and to help shape program and policy development.