Chair Report

This has been another remarkable year for Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network as we focused on supporting people with the highest health needs to access health care, as well as supporting primary care practices through government reform priorities.

Rising cost-of-living pressures are affecting people seeking and providing primary care, and having impacts across our region. We have seen an increasing number of people facing homelessness and housing insecurity. This is another stressor contributing to existing mental health challenges and also linked to increasing family and domestic violence. Access to preventive health care and affordable primary care services has also become more difficult for individuals on low incomes, as general practice face and respond to ongoing viability challenges. In response, our commissioned services and targeted programs have played a vital role in reducing barriers and promoting access to care for those who need it most.

CESPHN’s Psychological Support Services (PSS) program has seen significant demand throughout the year. The number of referrals has increased, as has the complexity of many clients needs, requiring additional sessions, or needing stepped up support to suicide prevention programs. To address this growing demand, we implemented demand management strategies and allocated additional funding to ensure services could meet the needs of the community.

Through the Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grants program, we supported 475 practices across our region to access critical funding to support practice finances and to boost uptake of accreditation, digital health and infection control.  This support included $7 million towards improving digital health capabilities, nearly $4 million to support or maintain accreditation, and $2.9 million for infection control measures.

In February we were honoured to partner with Babana and Tribal Warrior to launch our third Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan aboard the Mari Nawi on Sydney Harbour. This plan reaffirms our commitment to strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the central and eastern Sydney region. A key focus is increasing the employment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff within our organisation.

In October we hosted our annual Strategy Workshop bringing together 80 stakeholders to discuss key areas such as child mental health, multicultural health, and urgent care. These workshops offer a valuable opportunity to connect diverse people and services for meaningful discussions, with a strong emphasis on actionable solutions. We also began the development of our new strategic plan, set to be finalized by the end of the year.

This year the Board and Member organisations collaborated on a comprehensive review of our membership structure and Constitution, the first since the PHN was established. Our goal is to ensure  the organisation is well governed and well-prepared for the future. After this review we will be recommending a range of constitutional amendments at the 2024 AGM, as well as continued review of the membership structure in 2025.

It was a great pleasure to attend our second Primary Health Awards night, held in the Sutherland Shire. These awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of primary health professionals and community members who go above and beyond to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community.

After seven years as Board Chair, I will be stepping down at the Annual General Meeting in November. I want to thank my fellow Board members for their support and wisdom through this year, and through my tenure as Board chair. It has been a privilege to work with you, and I have greatly valued your diverse perspectives and ideas for improving the health system within our region.

During my time as Chair I have been proud to see the organisation mature and its capacity and influence grow. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our CEO, Nathalie Hansen, and her Executive team for their exceptional leadership. I also want to extend my gratitude to all the staff at Central and Eastern Sydney PHN for their hard work and the outstanding results achieved this year. It has been an honour to work alongside you all, and I am excited to see the network continue to evolve as it approaches its 10^th anniversary next year.