WA Primary Health Alliance has released its roadmap for activity in the priority areas of alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and population health, with two comprehensive strategies now available.
These are the second and third Health Priority Strategies in a series referenced in our Strategic Plan 2020-23, Better Health, Together. They will guide our investment in local primary health care services and ensure initiatives are within scope, as determined by the Australian Government Department of Health.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy will help us design and deliver activities to increase the availability of drug and alcohol treatment services in areas of high need and improve coordination and connection between sectors.
The Population Health Strategy highlights our commitment to a collaborative approach to population health across the primary health care sector and will support informed decision-making and understanding of our population health priorities.
WA Primary Health Alliance Strategy and Policy Manager, Melanie Chatfield, said that the Strategies are designed to guide WAPHA staff and provide a blueprint that will help us make strategic commissioning decisions to direct our finite resources to where they will deliver the most impact.
“We have a strong focus on working collaboratively across the primary health care sector to help achieve our goal of system integration.
“Our intention is to orient our AOD and other services around general practice to better support consumers, carers and clinicians reduce harm from AOD use.
“While in population health, our priorities will focus on increasing access to holistic, person-centred care, to support people with an increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes.’
Our Mental Health Strategy and Framework are companion pieces to the AOD Strategy, as we are cognisant of the significant overlap of people who experience substance use issues in addition to experiencing mental illness