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The ACT Primary Care Pilot is a federally-funded collaboration between ACT Health, Canberra Health Services and CHN. It is testing an innovative model to reduce demand on public Emergency Departments, by strengthening integration between ACT general practices and the public health system for people who either attend hospital frequently or are at risk of attending in the near future.
The pilot is supporting general practices to help patients with complex health care needs, and at risk of going to the Emergency Department or hospital, to stay well in the community. By providing a coordinated care program for these patients, the pilot is aiming to improve their health outcomes through early recognition of potential deterioration and the provision of a collaborative intervention.
The pilot which began in 2023 with an initial group of 5 participating general practices, has since expanded to include 15 general practices. GP and Nurse Practitioners (NP) from these practices work closely with Canberra Health Services’ Liaison and Navigation Service (LaNS), and their pilot patients to develop a comprehensive care plan and achieve the goals of that plan, to assist the person to stay well in the community. As part of the pilot, GPs and NPs accessed advice from select non-GP medical specialists within Canberra Health Services about how to best manage their patient within the primary care setting. Patients were also able to get timely access to allied health, in particular physiotherapy. As of 30 June 2024, 149 patients had been accepted into the Pilot.
“Often in primary health care, the definition of ‘consultation’ is very restrictive. Thanks to this pilot’s funding, the concept of consultation can be broadened beyond the time spent face-to face with the patient, as it supports administrative processes, phone calls with specialists, writing referrals and other processes that are necessary to provide the care that patients require”. Dr Chris Harrison, Ochre Medical Centre Bruce.
“I remember how beneficial the program was to the very first participating patient who had been frequently visiting the hospital for treatment. We were able to provide him with the right treatment and support here, with guidance from a specialist, and he became more independent and significantly reduced his hospital visits”. Maria Haider, Practice Manager at Oche Medical Centre Bruce.
