Excellence in strengthening partnerships
This award recognises teams that are building or strengthening relationships with our external community, partners and stakeholders to improve the delivery of health care.
2024 finalists
Allied health research unit – Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group
Engaging with external partners builds research capacity and embeds research into core business to benefit consumers, healthcare professionals and services, and the community.
A key strength of this unit is its proactive approach to cultivating partnerships with external stakeholders. Its partnership with the Curtin University School of Allied Health led to the creation of a 12-month postdoctoral fellowship and four part time research coordinator positions and research honorary appointments at Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group. Other strong partnerships, including with state, national and international universities, other Western Australian health service providers and the State Government, have led to millions of dollars in research funding and continue to be developed and nurtured.
The unit’s dedication to collaboration and transparency supports stakeholders to feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. This strengthens practitioners’ clinical expertise with complementary research skills, enables high-quality research, facilitates evidence-based practice and demonstrates effective service delivery interventions and models.
The unit’s ability to identify the unique needs of allied health teams and departments and work with external partners builds research capacity and culture, improves patient and service outcomes as well as staff satisfaction.
Integrated cancer services – Rockingham Peel Group
The newly established Rockingham General Hospital Integrated Cancer Service has intentionally and systematically built collaborative partnerships with the private sector, healthcare and government partners, non-government organisations and the local community to significantly improve care for cancer patients closer to home.
For a local population with the highest cancer rates in WA for certain cancers, these changes are lifesaving. The development of the service has included integrating external providers, establishing specific allied health clinics, developing a unique multidisciplinary team approach with a dedicated online platform to assist in the management of complex patients.
This approach has led to safer and more timely access to services for local patients, leading to an increase in activity and a reduction in wait times. Data comparisons show increases of 16 per cent in outpatient oncology and haematology activity and 22 per cent for oncology referrals. A 54 per cent increase in haematology referrals and 13 per cent reduction in over boundary outpatients were also recorded.
Patients are cared for in an individualised and holistic manner, considering lifestyle and stress factors in addition to their diagnosis, with partner organisations proactively involved in providing seamless cancer services.
Virtual immunology clinic for general practice – Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group
This successful partnership between Fiona Stanley Hospital’s Immunology Service, the Western Australian Primary Healthcare Alliance (WAPHA) and general practitioners (GPs) improved access to clinical immunology and allergy expertise and significantly reduced waitlists.
Participating GPs refer patients via an automated workflow which triggers a synchronous virtual appointment in real time, or shortly after, involving the patient, GP and immunologist.
In July 2023, the clinic was promoted to all GPs in the hospital’s metropolitan and rural referral catchment. By July 2024, 159 GPs from 55 general practices, hospitals and Aboriginal Medical Services had registered, with 617 new referrals received.
Patients gained more timely and equitable access to care, especially those who might otherwise struggle with in person attendance. Average wait times for first appointments reduced and discharge rates after first appointment increased. WAPHA’s reputation as an enabler of innovative primary care workflows was enhanced, while GPs gained in-context education and were upskilled in the primary care of referred conditions, reducing GP referrals to immunology.
See other 2024 Excellence Award finalists.