Winter is coming...

Pictured: Winter floodwaters at Dights Falls in Abbotsford.

Funding of $5,000 was provided to interested practices to actively engage with at-risk communities.  

The key objectives were to: 

• keep people well and out of hospital by increasing uptake of vaccinations
• develop and implement winter plans for preventing ill-health
• proactively manage deterioration of chronic or seasonal illness. 

This program offered practices an opportunity to implement short-term local solutions to supplement existing arrangements for the delivery of vaccinations and preventative care to at-risk cohorts. 

Applications opened in March. Activities took place within a 10-week period from registration approval, and had to be completed by May 31, with data submitted to NWMPHN a month later. 



It was by any measure an extraordinary success, with 132 practices signing up. Collectively, they identified more than 160,000 vulnerable people, and achieved impressive levels of contact, via SMS, telephone, and face-to-face conversation. 

Just over 86,350 SMSs were sent, and more than 35,000 patients were contacted by other means. This resulted in 32,200 patients making an appointment. More than 14,000 COVID-19 and 41,900 influenza vaccines were administered. 

The boost in appointments also allowed GPs to fill other treatment and support tasks, including cancer screening, chronic condition management plans, and vaccinations for pneumococcal, shingles, pertussis, meningococcal, haemophilus influenzae type B and other diseases. 



“The project provided a focus for our Principal Practitioner,” said Craig Rayner, practice manager and director at Keilor Village Medical, which participated in the program. 

“It enabled the practitioner to 'flesh out' conditions and provide a point of communication for the patient and doctor. The project was very much patient-centred, and many of the patients expressed their appreciation for the fact that their doctor had a plan for them, should they get into difficulty during winter, given their age, medical condition and so forth.” 

The winter planning grants were in essence a repeat of NWMPHN’s 2022 GP proactive grants, funded by Australian Government under the Vaccination of Vulnerable Populations program, but with refinements derived from practice feedback. 

Uptake in the first year was 97 practices. This ticked up to 132 in the second, and comprised repeat and new recipients. Not surprisingly, the larger number of practices meant total recorded activities were up across the board. Of note, however, were influenza vaccinations, which increased almost 10-fold year-on-year, from 4,900 to 41,900. 

“It was lovely to see that in 2023 we were able to support 71 practices that had not participated before,” said Christine Ferlazzo, NWMPHN’s strategic project manager who oversees the project. 

“The winter planning grants are a great example of how small scale, targeted, granular support to general practices can produce health-positive results out of all proportion to the level of investment required."

“The grants speak to the importance of health equity, and to the positive impacts of keeping considerations of patient and provider experience foremost.” 

The success of the winter planning grant program has been recognised by the broader health sector. 

NWMPHN was invited to present a poster on the subject at the Third Australasian COVID-19 Conference, hosted by Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). 

The event was held in Brisbane in July 2023. 

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