The Client
- Healthy North Coast (HNC) are striving to be a strong commissioning organisation that works with health professionals, the community and clinical and community councils across the region to design services that best meet its community’s needs.
The Challenge
- All PHNs were required to submit their three year Needs Assessment to the Department of Health in late 2021/early 2022.
- The PHN has developed a commissioning framework that requires a strong understanding of health care needs on the North Coast.
- The Needs Assessment is the first step in the commissioning framework and provides the basis for planning and commissioning of services. The development of the Needs Assessment’s are an important basis to ensure quality commissioning by the PHN.
- HNC recognised that they needed to grow their capabilities in developing Needs Assessments. By using more effective processes learned from Rebbeck, they will be able to build a stronger base for future Health Assessments, and their commissioned services.
The Impact
Through using tools and techniques including the hypothesis-driven approach to needs identification and the Hanlon method, we were able to deliver the following:
1. Clear identification of HNC’s needs and priority areas
- We introduced the PHN team to the two needs identification approaches, the hypothesis-driven approach, and a data-driven approach. The data matrix developed by HNC was used to compare hypothesised needs, and was also used as the basis of the data-driven approach to needs identification. This resulted in the production of a set of health and service needs.
- From the identified needs, PHN priority areas were also identified.
2. Prioritisation of HNC’s needs
- Through consultation with the project Advisory Group, we updated the equation used in the Hanlon method to reflect the priorities of HNC.
3. Submission of Health Needs report to the Department of Health
- We supported HNC in writing up the report that was then sent to the Department. This report was based on the template provided by the Department.
4. Upskilling of the HNC staff in developing Needs Assessment’s
- Staff at HNC are now equipped to use these tools and techniques to develop strong Needs Assessment in future years. These improved Needs Assessments will result in better outcomes for their commissioning framework.
