Multidisciplinary care teams are increasingly demonstrating their ability to support busy GPs and increase patient access to affordable and coordinated primary care.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is directing 2023-24 Budget investment through Primary Health Networks to improve access to affordable multidisciplinary team care in general practice where it is most needed.
Multidisciplinary care teams operating within general practice are increasingly demonstrating their ability to support busy GPs and increase patient access to affordable and coordinated primary care.
In response to the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) is directing 2023-24 Budget investment through Primary Health Networks (PHNS) to improve access to affordable multidisciplinary team (MDT) care in general practice where it is most needed.
WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) will be collaborating with selected general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) to co-design a service approach for a primary care multidisciplinary team to provide person-centred care in collaboration with general practices located within priority locations in each of WAPHA’s three PHNs. WAPHA will then seek to commission a service provider to deliver the multidisciplinary team in partnership with participating general practices.
The Department of Health and Aged Care is prioritising this investment towards small and solo general practices (with <5 GP FTE) located in the following underserved or financially disadvantaged areas:
- Perth North: Balga-Mirrabooka, Girrawheen, Marangaroo, Alexander Heights-Koondoola and Nollamara-Westminster.
- Perth South: Gosnells, Maddington-Orange Grove-Martin, Beckenham-Kenwick-Langford.
- Country WA: Geraldton and Mullewa.
Multidisciplinary care transforming patient outcomes
Kate Fulford, and Dr Priya Krishnan from Pramana Medical Centre speak about about the transformative impact of multidisciplinary team care.
Providing smaller and solo general practices in priority locations with access to MDT services that are easily available at no-cost to their patients, can reduce barriers for patients accessing clinically appropriate care, reduce the clinical burden on GP’s, increase coordination of team-based, primary care and provide clinicians with increased opportunities to operate at the top of their scope.
PHN commissioning of multidisciplinary teams within general practice can increase patient access to care in the community, enhance the management of chronic conditions, and reduce avoidable hospitalisations in underserved communities.
Extensive consultation and engagement with local general practices, allied health providers and other key primary health care stakeholders will inform WAPHAs proposal for the implementation of a multidisciplinary team care model within general practices.
This will be achieved through the interrogation and application of general practice, population health and workforce data and contemporary local knowledge, consideration of existing services, opportunities for efficiency or improvement, and consultation with other internal and external subject matter experts.
The capacity of this program will enable a small number of general practices, located in the selected priority locations within each PHN, to participate collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team care model over a four year period.
Small and solo practices located within priority locations and other primary care stakeholders can register their interest in this project as it progresses via MDT@wapha.org.au.
Allied health service providers interested in delivering an MDT service in conjunction with participating general practices can also subscribe to receive WAPHA tender notifications
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This initiative is aimed to support smaller or solo general practices, that do not have the capacity to engage their own multidisciplinary workforce through other funding streams. As a guide, if your practice has more than five full-time-equivalent (FTE) of GP’s you are unlikely to be considered.
The initiative is focussed on improving access to multidisciplinary care to people living in financially disadvantaged communities. The identified locations in each PHN are:
- Perth North: Balga-Mirrabooka, Girrawheen, Marangaroo, Alexander Heights-Koondoola and Nollamara-Westminster.
- Perth South: Gosnells, Maddington-Orange Grove-Martin, Beckenham-Kenwick-Langford.
- Country WA: Geraldton and Mullewa.
If your practice is located within one of these locations, and is a small or solo practice, you are likely eligible for consideration.
Initially a maximum of five general practices in each PHN, located within the identified locations will be invited to apply. Participation is restricted by the capacity of the multidisciplinary team to provide a reasonable number of appointments to patients, in each general practice.
Further consultation with general practices, along with practice and population data analysis, and a review of existing local workforce within each PHN will determine the health professionals for that location. The participating practices in each PHN will share the same MDT.
- Allied health professionals: Art therapists, Audiologists, Chiropractors, Dietitians, Exercise Physiologists, Genetic Counsellors, Medical Radiation Practitioners, Music Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Orthoptists, Orthotists/Prosthetists, Osteopaths, Perfusionists, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Rehabilitation Counsellors, Social Workers, Sonographers, Speech Pathologists
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners
- Nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Midwives
- Assistant health workers (such as peer workers and Allied Health Assistants) if they are supervised by qualified professionals.
It is important that practices have an appropriate clinic space for the MDT health professional working in the practice to consult with patients.
There is no requirement that general practices involved in this initiative are accredited.
The specifics of care delivery, including MDT schedules, will be determined as part of the co-design process between participating practices and the Commissioned Service Provider.
- Clinical space for MDT members to see patients
- Participation in meetings (including co-design workshop, ongoing governance meetings and peer learning- to be developed)
- Welcoming practice environment for MDT
- Care coordination- to be further discussed/codesigned
- Increased GP capacity through sharing of care
- Enhanced patient services
- Inter-professional collaboration
- Ongoing practice support from WAPHA
- One-stop-shop for patients
WAPHA will commission Service Providers in each of the 3 locations who will employ the health professionals to join practice MDTs. Practices will be expected to work together with Commissioned Service Providers and WAPHA to support the MDT work but are not expected to undertake any employment responsibilities in this respect.
Please contact MDT@wapha.org.au for more information or subscribe to receive WAPHA tender notifications.