We are pleased to share the progress WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) has made in 2024-2025 towards advancing our vision of better health, together. This year was defined by strategic alignment, collaborative partnerships, and a focus on inclusion and data-driven decision-making in the context of the ambitious Australian Government primary health care reform priorities.
Guided by the Quintuple Aim, we have continued to embed equity in everything we do, ensuring that people across WA, regardless of their background or where they live, can access the care they need.
Our approach is grounded in the delivery of three core functions:
- Commissioning services that are responsive to local needs.
- Capacity building to support a sustainable and skilled primary care workforce.
- Coordination across sectors to create a more connected and person-centred system.
A more connected and collaborative system is crucial to furthering our one health system vision. WAPHA is finalising a partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the WA Department of Health and the Aboriginal Health Council of WA to formalise our shared commitment to enhancing primary health care and creating a unified health system in WA. This is a significant milestone and will support us to adopt best practice foundations and models in joint planning, collaborative commissioning, joint funding, governance and regional needs assessments.
This year we continued to play a pivotal role in supporting the Australian Government’s Strengthening Medicare reform measures. Through commissioning of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, including a new clinic in Armadale, supporting the rollout of MyMedicare registration and associated incentives, and advancing initiatives in thin markets, aged care and mental health, we have had a clear focus on improving access, modernising primary care and embedding multidisciplinary team-based models of care. These efforts reflect our commitment to collaborative commissioning, data-driven planning and equitable service delivery, ensuring that reform translates into tangible improvements for communities across WA.
Primary Health Networks (PHN) work within a complex landscape of diverse stakeholders, often with competing priorities, in thin market areas where service delivery is challenging. Added to this is a rapidly evolving policy environment that demands strong leadership and a commitment to cultural change. Navigating this complexity, fostering collaboration, and bringing agencies and providers together, is central to how WAPHA is making a difference and delivering better health outcomes for Western Australians.
This year also marked a decade since WAPHA’s inception. Over that time, we have grown into one of Australia’s most innovative and effective PHN operators, recognised nationally for our state-wide model and collaborative approach.
You can read about WAPHA’s progress towards our health priorities in our Activity Snapshot 2024-2025 and Cultural Competency, Equity and Inclusion Snapshot 2024-2025.
We thank our partners and member organisations, commissioned service providers and primary health care professionals for their continued trust and collaboration.
Looking ahead, we remain focused on being a responsive and trusted partner in primary health care reform, helping to shape a system that is sustainable, equitable and person-centred.
I hope you enjoy reading our Year in Review 2024-2025.
Kind regards
Dr Richard Choong, Board Chair
Bernadette Kenny, Chief Executive Officer