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About Us

What is Primary Care?

Primary care is the first level of care people receive in
Australia’s health system.

A strong primary care system ensures people can access the right care, at the right time, close to home. It helps people maintain their health and wellbeing, manage long‑term conditions and plays a vital role in preventing disease.

If you’ve ever visited a local doctor, dietitian, physiotherapist, phycologist or other community‑based health professional, you’ve used primary healthcare.

It is the part of the health system that Australians rely on most. Primary care is delivered in the community, outside of hospitals, and acts as the first point of contact for people seeking care. It focuses on providing essential, accessible, community‑based care that supports people throughout their lives, from prevention, to treatment and recovery.

Primary care is delivered by a wide range of health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, allied health providers (such as physiotherapists and speech pathologists) Aboriginal and community health workers.

 

Who provides primary healthcare?

This care is delivered by a team of health professionals you see outside of a hospital:

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General Practitioners

Your family doctor. (GPs)

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Nurses

Practice nurses, community nurses.

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Allied Health

Physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, pharmacists, dentists, etc.

The value

Why primary
healthcare is so important

A strong primary healthcare system is the foundation of a healthy community. It keeps people healthier for longer, manages chronic conditions more effectively, and reduces pressure on our busy hospitals and emergency departments.

 

Doctor consulting with one another.
About Us

Our role in supporting this system

As your local Primary Health Network (PHN), Wentworth Healthcare’s job is to support and improve this system. We work with all these health professionals to make sure our community gets the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

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