14 NOVEMBER 2007

Organisations act to head off shortage in health care providers

Media release from Pinnacle and Waikato Primary Health

Waikato Primary Health and the Pinnacle General Practice Network are taking active steps to counter the expected future shortage of medical service providers in the Waikato region. This includes support for recruitment and retention of general practitioners and nurses, as well as creating pathways for other health providers to enhance services provided by general practice.

A report released by Pinnacle earlier this month revealed that 181 additional general practitioners and 197 more practice nurses will be required in the region to meet the expected demand by 2026 if services were delivered in the current way.

The report by Dr Janet Sceats and  Shefali Pawar of Pinnacle Group Primary Health Intelligence Unit provides the first detailed analysis of how an ageing population and workforce, combined with the predicted dramatic rise in chronic disease, will affect general practice.  A key finding is that retirement of baby boomers in the workforce will be felt from 2016, but the region will only be hit 10 years later by the major demographic changes that drive higher demand for primary health care services. 

"This means health organisations have a window of opportunity to head off the expected shortage," says Erica Amon of Waikato Primary Health.

"The Pinnacle report provides the  detail needed to strengthen the steps we have already taken, as we have been aware of the coming shortage for some years."

One such initiative is to provide scholarships for health professionals who aim to work in rural areas. Waikato Primary Health has awarded a total of 50 such scholarships since the programme started in 2005. This includes 23 recipients who have received the scholarships for study next year.

Apart from training new health professionals, Waikato Primary Health also supports those already delivering rural health services. For instance, rural health professionals can claim funding for specific activities, e.g. an on-call grant for doctors.

"We realise rural health professionals face additional barriers to staying current with medical developments, so we provide support for continuing education for rural doctors and pharmacists. This may soon be extended to other professions."

GPs and practice nurses also receive ongoing support from Pinnacle. This includes a confidential counselling service, as well as a business planning support tool to help practices run the commercial side of their business. Owners are also helped to explore alternative ownership structures where needed. Through Pinnacle, practice staff have access to training in strategic leadership to enable them to meet the demands of the future environment.

Apart from working to place, support and retain more clinically trained health professionals in rural areas, Waikato Primary Health works with allied organisations to enable other health providers to alleviate the pressure on general practice.

In one of these initiatives, the Waikato Community Pharmacy Group will run a campaign to increase the awareness of the services and advice available from a community pharmacy.

"Some people go to their local pharmacy as a first port of call, either to find out if they need to see a doctor or to get treatment. This frees up general practitioners to concentrate on patients with more complex conditions," says Ms Amon.
 
A secondary spin-off is that people will become more aware which conditions they can self-manage. An increased focus on self-management, empowering people to manage their own health, is a key component of Waikato Primary Health's long-term strategy.

One way to promote self-management is through community health care coordinators who don't necessarily have to be clinically trained. They provide valuable support, doing home visits and educating the community on health matters.

Maori health workers in particular have been given the opportunity to gain more knowledge of what may await their clients who need hospital care. Waikato Primary Health's Observation Programme equips Maori health workers with clinical knowledge and familiarises them with procedures provided in hospitals. Cardiac and diabetes programmes have already been run, with one on respiratory illnesses planned.

Ms Amon says health authorities have to look beyond traditional preconceptions to find the most effective ways to address the real health needs in the community. "The answers lie in cooperation between different health organisations and possibly redefining the roles of particular providers."

Waikato Primary Health is the largest organisation of its kind in the Midland area, representing 305,000 enrolled patients. Primary health organisations were established in 2002 as part of the Government's Primary Health Care Strategy to facilitate the delivery of primary health care, i.e. health care provided outside of hospitals, where patients first interface with health providers.

The Pinnacle General Practice Network represents 100 medical practices working across five Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) in the Midland region, providing primary care services for about 425,000 people. It serves a diverse population encompassing rural and urban areas, retirement zones, a high proportion of Maori and many socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

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