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Primary Health Network program: annual performance report 2021–22
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) coordinated and commissioned place-based primary health care services to address their region’s local identified health needs. The report looks at the performance and outcome of the PHN program. It provides performance indicators measuring how PHNs’ activities are helping to achieve the program’s objectives across the priority areas identified in the Program Performance and Quality Framework.
The broad range of activities and functions delivered by PHNs cover: alcohol and other drugs, general practice, digital health, First Nations health, My Health record, care for people with chronic conditions, aged care, mental health and population health.
Results are presented by program areas where possible by the socio-economic status, remoteness from services, and state/territory of PHN populations.
Key results
- Total annual PHN program funding increased 16.3% to $1.562 billion in the 2021-22 financial year.
- Almost a quarter of the $218 million funding increase was new investment in aged care services.
- Primary mental health care represented the largest investment by funding schedule.
- The COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt the primary health care system from the previous year, including delivery of the PHN program and its objectives.
- In 2021-22 $120.7 million was invested in PHNs to implement a range of pandemic response activities.
- The aged care sector, and people living in residential aged care homes (RACHs) were severely impacted by COVID-19 given increased vulnerability to infection and mortality.
- The profile and delivery of GP services changed in 2021-22. Availability and permanence of telehealth and the vaccine rollout was a major contributor to a 10.3% increase in GP attendances from the previous year.
- GP chronic disease management plans declined across all demographic cohorts.
- Jurisdictional delivery of the Essential Vaccine Schedule indicates most states and territories faced challenges in meeting four vaccination coverage targets across different cohorts of children and adolescents.
