Working with General Practice DHS Position Statement and Resource Guide

Page content: Background | Working with General Practice Department of Human Services position statement at a glance

Background

The Working with General Practice Department of Human Services Position Statement and Resource Guide were launched by the Honourable Daniel Andrews MP, Minister for Health on Thursday 20 December 2007.

In late 2006, the DHS General Practice Policy Coordination group identified the need to articulate Department’s vision for the ongoing interface with general practice.

The development of the Working with General Practice position statement and resource guide was supported by the DHS General Practice Policy Coordination group and led by the Primary Health Branch. A working group with representation from Primary Health, Rural and Regional Health Services, Aged Care, Mental Health and Drugs, Disability Services and Programs branches and with co-opted membership from General Practice Victoria (GPV).

Draft documents were released in August 2007, with feedback received from over forty internal and external stakeholders.

These documents present a departmental wide commitment to improving the way we work with general practice.

Working with General Practice Department of Human Services position statement at a glance

This document provides summary information from both the position statement and resource guide.

Working with General Practice Department of Human Services position statement at a glance (238kb, pdf)

The 'Working with General Practice DHS position statement' articulates the department's vision for a strengthened collaborative interface and highlights opportunities to further align State and Commonwealth agendas.

The purpose of the position statement is:

• To articulate the vision of the collaborative interface between general practice and the Department of Human Services
• Developed primarily for a departmental audience and, secondarily, to serve as a valuable guide for State-funded agencies and the general practice sector
• Provides a framework for a strong, coordinated and consistent approach to underpin collaborative work with the general practice sector into the future
• Highlights opportunities to further align State and Commonwealth agendas for health care

It also includes a number of action areas that outline the department’s commitment to rolling out the position statement across the organisation, and demonstrate how individual branches will use the position statement to guide their work with general practice into the future.

Working with general practice: Department of Human Services position statement (536kb, pdf)

The Resource guide provides practical information for departmental staff looking to ensure that general practice is consulted with and engaged in various state health initiatives.

An ongoing challenge for the Department of Human Services is to successfully collaborate with general practice. The resource guide is designed to assist and support department staff in developing and maintaining the strong partnerships required for successful collaboration. It brings together:

• the department's position, vision and guiding statements
• practices that support successful partnerships with general practice
• a simple checklist for getting started
• a range of case studies demonstrating how the department, State-funded services sector and general practice have worked together for better client outcomes
• additional background information on general practice and Divisions of General Practice

Working with general practice: Department of Human Services resource guide (685kb, pdf)

Hard copies are available by emailing anna.brazier@dhs.vic.gov.au or by contacting the GP Partnership team on (61 3) 9096 7606.

top of page