What we wanted to achieve with General Practice Connect
The aim of General Practice Connect was to create a collaborative, strategic relationship where we can work with General Practice to explore opportunities to deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders.
It also aimed to deliver a new commissioning model for urban General Practice that will help us to have more effective and innovative ways of rehabilitating injured New Zealanders.
You've told us you want change
Last year, we visited primary care professionals across Aotearoa, which helped us identify what was important to you and your patients. At our roadshow, workshops, and through the Shape Your ACC website, you told us you'd like us to:
- reduce the burden of ACC’s administrative requests
- be culturally responsive
- be easier to work with
- deliver more value from our communications
- hear and act on the concerns of your patients
- work toward equity in access and outcomes
- provide more flexibility in how you deliver services, including with multi-disciplinary teams.
We’re focusing on your everyday challenges
While the feedback we received reiterated support for a new commissioning model, it was clear that there was equal value in addressing many of the day-to-day pain points you shared with us.
We've addressed these pain points and some of the changes include:
- Ability to digitally submit a change in diagnosis (in some PMS systems)
- Using SendInvoice for faster provider payments
- Trialling KonnetNet to make it easier for GPs to compile and send medical notes
- Introducing Telehealth changes in response to COVID-19, and now exploring if we should use it on a longer-term basis
- Continued design and implementation of our GP-referred High-Tech Imaging pathways
- Exploring how we can better support the management of clients with symptoms of concussion in primary care
- Introducing additional learning modules available through the Goodfellow Unit
- Continued development with the health sector of an ACC Health Outcome Framework
- Recruitment of two National Managers for Māori Health Services
- Developing information resources for newly registered health practitioners. This is especially for those who were trained overseas and don’t know the ACC scheme.
We're committed to improving the experience of General Practice
While we focused on addressing these pain points, we've put further development of the commissioning model on hold.
We want to build on the great start to General Practice Connect but need time to explore how a new commissioning model could — and should — evolve. The release of the Health and Disability System Review has reinforced the need to do this.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We're grateful for ongoing feedback from General Practice members about their experience with us and we take this seriously.
If you have any questions or feedback on General Practice Connect and our next steps, please email us.
Email gpconnect@acc.co.nz
