Capacity Tracker

Capacity Tracker is a free online tool that enables General Practice (GP) and Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) to quickly and easily alert the PHN to current or potential issues that impact operations, and activate PHN support.

Updates and alerts can be made anywhere, anytime, on any internet-connected device. Login here.

Since launching in Australia in April 2020, Capacity Tracker has been adopted by General Practices, Aboriginal Medical Services and Residential Aged Care Facilities across the Hunter New England Central Coast region to support continuity of care for the community through primary care.

Capacity Tracker is currently being implemented by PHNs across Australia.

How does it work?

Users provide updates on the status of their workforce, appointments, admissions, vacancies, PPE supplies and COVID-19 impacts through the online portal, which is fast, secure, accessible from any internet-connected device, and completely free, as it is funded by the PHN.

Why share this information?

The PHN uses data and reports from Capacity Tracker to provide support to practices and facilities and to identify issues and challenges across the region.

In particular, in response to COVID-19, the PHN has established links and devised response plans to work with various services and agencies to get support and resources where they are needed as quickly as possible.

This may be through direct intervention - such as helping to find alternate GP support for a RACF in the event of an emergency GP shutdown - or by providing advice or connections to a relevant service or organisation.

Success stories

The PHN has responded to many alerts raised through Capacity Tracker, and the data provided by facilities and practices has enabled the PHN to successfully:

• Work with the RACGP to fast-track a locum to support a regional general practice facing a period of having no GP to service the community, hospital and RACF,
• Urgently alert the PHN Emergency Operations Centre to a fire at a regional practice and plan for providing emergency supplies and clinic space,
• Provide support to a regional practice to ensure patient coverage during a critical period without adequate workforce resources,
• Dispatch masks to ensure practices and RACFs had sufficient PPE for periods between order and delivery of commercial supply,
• Locate an interim GP to care for residents when a GP servicing a Hunter region RACF was stranded due to border closures and unable to service his patients, and
• Oversee vaccine distribution during the 2020 influenza vaccination rollout, and - in conjunction with the Public Health Unit - redistribute vaccine supply from an RACF with surplus vaccine to an RACF in need of additional supplies.

Get started

Register now! Watch the GP or RACF registration videos if you need guidance to complete the online form.

You will need at least one registered staff member for each organisation you register in Capacity Tracker. It is advisable to have several registered users, so that updates can still be provided even if one staff member is away.

You will receive an email when your registration has been finalised, usually within one working day, and you can start using Capacity Tracker.

More information

• Contact your Primary Care Improvement Officer or the Aged Care Project Officer
  
• Login to Capacity Tracker, check the home page notifications and review the information available in the Resource Centre