When Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) was experiencing significant organisational change, it knew where to turn. Staff changes, pressing operational and accreditation requirements, and the need for a longer term strategy created an immediate challenge: maintaining services while building a more sustainable model of local primary care.

Operating non-profit general practices for some of the most disadvantaged community members is always challenging. Larter was commissioned to provide general practice consulting services – to review immediate needs and capacity, support service continuity, consult widely and develop a plan for service sustainability over the medium term.

“It gave us confidence knowing we had Larter Consulting in,” Executive Director, Medical Service and Oral Health Vicki Doherty said.

“It’s about not only their expertise but the people themselves.

“For Larter to come in and validate our circumstances in a structured and evidence-based way added significant credibility to what we were trying to do.

“Coming in with fresh eyes in a non-threatening and confidential way gave our people additional scope to be honest.”

The immediate challenge

Larter’s key initial work was to address an urgent operational gap for LCHS general practices after the resignation of senior staff.

Our approach was collaborative, working with the local team on the ground to stabilise practice management functions, maintain continuity across the practices, and ensure key operational priorities such as Medicare (MBS) income optimisation and accreditation readiness didn’t lose momentum.

We also investigated the strategic pathway needed to strengthen the sustainability, efficiency and performance of its general practice teams through a health workforce strategy.

This included development of a short term general practice strategy for Board consideration.

At the same time it was imperative to support the practices in Gippsland to prepare for and attain the upcoming RACGP accreditation, while also identifying opportunities to remove inefficiencies and improve role clarity across the service.

Getting started – consultants as trusted external voices

“Nothing was too small to ask,” Doherty said.

“We had a trusted external voice which was invaluable for both the Executive and Board.

“We will have a better focus on Gippsland with staffing to match following Larter’s expert analysis of our needs.

“There’s a three-year pathway ahead. We wanted to look at patient flow, have consistent standardised processes in place and deliver a long-term model of financial sustainability.

“Our first task is the change management which we are working through. We will then be implementing MBS optimisation initiatives and making sure there’s more proactive patient management.

“We have to make the investment in the next few years to ensure we get the right systems in place, so we can enter year three on an even stronger financial footing.”

The Larter engagement delivered wins  

Although more work remains, the engagement has already delivered several significant early wins.

Larter, working with LCHS, has achieved notable milestones:

• Supporting six practices – three in Gippsland, three in metropolitan Melbourne
• Helping secure accreditation in Gippsland, with metropolitan practices now preparing for accreditation.
• Securing Board and Executive buy in and building a shared understanding of the next three year financial forecast and way forward.
• Better utilisation of registered nurses – working to top of their scope of practice and leading planned, proactive chronic disease management (CDM).
• Providing strategic advice about how to plan shared medical appointments.
• Streamlining client services better meet general practice requirements – in particular for appointment utilisation.
• Beginning executive level discussions about integrated primary healthcare – better integrating general practice and allied health services.

A sustainable pathway for the community to draw on

Larter’s Project Lead Mario Gupta affirmed that it’s vital for the sustainability of community health that committed professionals work together to develop more efficient models of care, stronger operational processes and clear structures for growth.

“We have been able to host a wide spectrum of qualitative consultations across the organisation leading to multiple findings which have shaped our approach and insights to help us achieve general practice sustainability.

“Our engagement has been shaped through clear governance and a working group that has delivered project milestones.

“The early findings of our work have been presented at Executive and Board level, gaining their trust and accepting a vision for better quality and sustainability in primary care.

“With that support we will continue our engagement with senior leaders.

“Our next piece of work is strategically informed to host two workshops to lead the general practice teams through comprehensive change management processes and help them identify solutions for greater workforce and financial viability.”

Larter was pleased to partner with Latrobe Community Health Service. Contact us to explore how Larter can help your organisation and community through meaningful evaluation.