The WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA, pronounced WAFFA) is a not for profit organisation which oversees our state’s three Primary Health Networks. These replaced the Medicare Locals, which in turn replaced the GP Networks. However Primary Health Networks have a different, expanded role from either of these predecessors – WAPHA doesn’t provide services, they fund services, and most importantly, co-ordinate what services are funded where. They are what is known as a “collective impact” structure, in that they can help bring organisations together to create better, more joined-up services.
In 2017, The Health Consumers Council was pleased to be given the opportunity to work with the WA Primary Health Alliance to undertake consumer engagement projects in our primary care sector, in other words, everything that is not hospital care.
There are three projects we are doing with WAPHA outlined below: