Your Health, Your Community, Your Say

Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (PHN) has launched a survey designed to help shape the future of healthcare in communities across the regions it serves.

The Your Health, Your Community, Your Say survey is targeting communities across all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the PHN footprint. Participants are being sought from all areas to answer a series of specific questions about the status of current health services.

The aim is to gain valuable insights from community members about their health needs, priorities in their community, and their ability to access services.

Your Health, Your Community, Your Say is open until 30 June 2024. Click here for access.

Please note that the PHN uses the Peoplebank software platform to collate survey data. All personal information collected is covered by our Privacy Policy.

As a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Australian Government, the PHN aims improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the primary health care system. We analyse and integrate information and data to support health planning and health service delivery in the Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions.

To support the 2024 Needs Assessment process, health snapshots for each Local Government Area within the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network have been collated. We encourage participants to view the snapshot relating to the LGA in which you reside as part of the consultation. View local government area health profiles.

What will the PHN do with the information gathered?

The PHN will compare community responses to available health data to identify key areas for improvement or guide us further to identify gaps in health services across our region. Your input will directly inform our planning and help us determine which communities require further consultation.

The PHN reports the findings of this survey to the Department of Health and Aged Care in a formal report, titled Needs Assessment. The report is due for submission in November 2024.

What is the Needs Assessment?

A Needs Assessment is a process used to identify unmet health and healthcare needs of a population, and present options for work that can be done to address these needs and improve the health of the population. The Needs Assessment is the first step in the PHN commissioning framework. It provides the basis of the PHN’s understanding of the health needs of people living in our region and is used to inform the way the PHN plans and commissions services.

Why is the Needs Assessment important?

The Needs Assessment is used to:

• Gain a better understanding of, and insight into, the health needs and service gaps across our region, including differences experienced by population groups such as First Nations people, people living in rural areas and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) populations
• Identify opportunities and options for actions that can be taken to address the identified needs and service gaps with the intention of improving the health needs of our region
• Inform the development of our Annual Plan, and decisions about health service planning and delivery
• Engage with partner organisations to ensure corresponding effort and investment to improve the health of our communities

How do we prepare the Needs Assessment?

✓ We analyse relevant local and national health data such as, data from General Practices in our region, hospital statistics, and other data provided by state and federal government organisations

✓ We talk to community members, patients, family and carers, medical and health professionals, and other service providers from across our region to gather information about health needs and gaps in services at a local level

✓ We compare the data with the information provided by people from our region and develop a list of health and healthcare needs, including variations by community or population group, such as for people living in rural areas or First Nations people

✓ We review the available evidence to identify options for addressing the unmet needs, balancing clinical, ethical, and economic considerations i.e., what should be done, what can be done, and what is affordable

✓ We compare the data with the information provided by people from our region and develop a list of health and healthcare priorities

✓ And finally, we use this information and share it with others to improve health services in our region