As you may have seen in recent national
discussions surrounding Primary Health Network (PHN) funding, the Department of
Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) is focussed on clear outcomes. It is about
ensuring public investment translates into tangible improvements in access,
quality, equity and experience of primary health care for our communities.
The recent DHDA PHN Review reinforced
this direction, with a clear expectation that PHNs continue to mature their
commissioning approach. Key themes from the review included strengthening the
link between identified need, commissioned activity and measurable outcomes;
improving consistency and clarity in performance reporting; and demonstrating
how commissioning decisions are informed by data, evaluation and lived
experience.
For WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA),
this means continuing to strengthen how we define success at the outset of our
commissioning, how we partner with commissioned service providers to achieve
it, and how we collectively tell the story of what is being achieved through
PHN funding. Our commissioning work will increasingly articulate why services
are funded, what outcomes are expected, and how progress will be measured - while
still allowing flexibility for local innovation and responsiveness.
For our service providers this is about
greater clarity and shared understanding. Over the coming year, you can expect
clearer outcome frameworks in new and renewed contracts, more consistent
reporting requirements aligned to those outcomes. We will also place greater
focus on using evaluation findings to inform future commissioning - ensuring what works is strengthened, scaled or adapted.
Just as importantly, WAPHA remains
committed to working alongside you as partners. We recognise the complexity of
delivering services in diverse and often challenging contexts, and we know that
outcomes are rarely achieved in isolation. Our role is to support, enable and
advocate, including ensuring the impact of your work is visible to the funders, policymakers and the communities we collectively serve.
Kind regards,
Mark Cockayne
Executive
General Manager – Commissioned Services
