Adelaide PHN Strategic Plan 2026-2029: A strategic direction for equitable, connected primary health care.
June 2026
Language Disclaimer
In Australia, populations experiencing health inequities are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes. For this plan, we use inclusive language to recognise the communities most affected by health inequities, including:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
LGBTQIA+ communities
People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage
People with disability
Older people
People from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including migrants and refugees
We also recognise that these communities are diverse, and that not every person within them will experience disadvantage in the same way. Individual circumstances, strengths and access to resources vary, and this plan seeks to respond to need without reducing people to a single identity or experience.
Recognition of Lived Experience
Lived experience refers to the personal knowledge, insights, and wisdom gained directly from living through particular life circumstances This may include experiences with social and emotional wellbeing or other significant situations that shape one's worldview It encompasses the entire journey of individuals who have lived or are currently living through these experiences, as well as the perspectives of their family members, friends, and significant others who provide support. Lived experience includes the journeys of those who have recovered or found new paths forward, those still navigating challenges, and acknowledges the experiences of those who are bereaved by the loss of a loved one.
Lived experience acknowledges ongoing and historical impacts, including intergenerational trauma, on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This encompasses the cultural, spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing of the individual, family, and community.
Adelaide PHN values individual stories and recognises that people with lived experience bring unique perspectives and expertise These firsthand accounts offer a depth of personal insight that distinguishes them from practitioner experiences or retellings of others' stories. The insights derived from lived experience provide a deeper, more nuanced understanding of relevant issues and can inform and improve systems, policies, and programs.
Dr Melanie Smith Chair of Board
Prof. Michelle McKay Chief Executive Officer
Our purpose
Adelaide PHN works alongside primary health care professionals and communities to better understand the health and wellbeing needs of our region. Through a comprehensive needs assessment, we identify the key health priorities and service gaps affecting people across metropolitan Adelaide. We then use these insights to guide our conversations with Advisory Councils, Peak Bodies, health professionals and community members, helping us commission programs and services that deliver better health outcomes.
Adelaide PHN commissions services to respond to population health needs and reduce barriers to care for communities with the highest needs by: identifying and addressing health service gaps based on careful planning and analysis commissioning safe, equitable health services in response to people’s needs improving access to health services across our priority populations partnering to deliver better health outcomes and experiences of care for all people.
We support health reform by turning national priorities into local action We do this by working closely with communities and providers to respond to local health needs, encourage innovation, and deliver national and co-commissioned programs in ways that fit our region.
Our Vision:
“Shaping the health system to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable people, and a healthier Adelaide.”
Our Core Functions and Objectives
In line with the quintuple aim of successful health reform, Adelaide PHN delivers three core functions:
1.Coordinate and integrate local health care services in collaboration with Local Health Networks (LHN) to improve quality of care, people's experience and efficient use of resources
2.Commission primary care and mental health services to address population health needs and gaps in service delivery and to improve access and equity.
3 Capacity-build and provide practice support to primary care and mental health providers to support quality care delivery.
Adelaide PHN’s primary objectives are to keep people well, particularly those living with chronic health conditions and mental illness, and to reduce avoidable hospital presentations across our region To support this, Adelaide PHN delivers national programs using a place-based approach, tailoring initiatives to respond to the needs, strengths and priorities of local communities.
Delivering these core functions requires more than setting clear priorities. It also depends on how we work. Our signature behaviours guide how we collaborate, lead, respond to change and stay focused on outcomes. In practice, they help us strengthen partnerships, build accountability, encourage innovation and develop the capability needed to deliver better care and better health outcomes for our communities
Together, our core functions and our way of working contribute to the quintuple aim of successful health reform by helping to:
Improve people's experience of care
Improve the cost efficiency of the health system
Improve equity of access and outcomes
Improve the health of populations
Improve the work life of health care providers
Adelaide PHN Regional Profile 2026
Urban planning – Greater Adelaide Regional Plan/ Renewal SA projects –New homes in OnkaparingaHeights
1700
43,000
1000 New residents -Dry Creek New homes-Southwark (Thebarton –former West End Brewery site)
People will call this home by 2033Playford Alive East (Munno Para)
326
1,838 1
1,666 Dentists
245
2,666
1,994
1,623
1,278 168 Psychologists
434
1,355 Occupational therapists Podiatrists
Aged Care Services providing home care packages:
244
12,878
96
150
45,874 people using home care support services
Our Consultation
Reflected
In preparing this plan, we identified 25 key themes through ongoing consultation with our Clinical and Community Councils, staff, leadership, Board and external stakeholders.
These themes reflect a health system under growing pressure and significant change. Three broad dynamics stand out: rising demand driven by population growth, ageing, cost-of-living pressures and increasing complexity of health and social needs; major reform across primary care, aged care, disability and digital health; and a clear need for more integrated, locally responsive and prevention-focused models of care Together, these pressures create a dual imperative for Adelaide PHN and its partners; respond to immediate service demands while investing in longer-term capability, partnerships, equity and system resilience.
Key Trends
Across Australia, digital health reform is increasingly focused on interoperability, inclusion, secure information sharing and more person-centred care, alongside growing attention to AI, cyber security and data integration.
Workforce reform is also emerging as a national priority, with greater emphasis on multidisciplinary care, scope of practice, after-hours access and more sustainable primary care funding.
Key Challenges
Stakeholders identified several interconnected challenges: funding uncertainty, workforce shortages and fatigue, fragmented pathways, mental health access gaps, and pressure at the hospital-primary care interface. These issues reflect metropolitan Adelaide’s concerns regarding hospital flow, ramping, aged care discharge delays and rising service demand. Another challenge is the uneven readiness for change While digital transformation, AI and new service models offer promise, implementation capability, trust, governance, equity and workforce confidence are not yet consistent across the system. Reform complexity also creates strategic risk, as changes in aged care, disability and primary care funding may blur future roles, accountability and partnership models Without deliberate coordination, reform may increase fragmentation rather than reduce it.
At the same time, reform in aged care and disability is changing roles, interfaces and expectations across the care system, requiring organisations to adapt while maintaining continuity for communities.
Locally, stakeholders highlighted that health demand is shaped by broader social and demographic pressures, including ageing, disadvantage, transport barriers, housing stress, and the need for culturally safe and inclusive care
Key Opportunities
Our consultation also identified clear opportunities for collective action. These include strengthening integrated care models that better connect general practice, hospitals, mental health, aged care, community services and social supports; investing in prevention and early intervention to reduce downstream demand; and shaping digital transformation in ways that improve access and coordination without widening inequity, particularly for Aboriginal communities, culturally and linguistically diverse populations, older people and others who may face barriers to digital participation. Stakeholders also emphasised the importance partnerships, community voice and research collaboration have on creating an opportunity to move beyond consultation and towards shared design, shared learning and stronger evidence-informed commissioning.
How this helped inform our 2026-2029 Strategic Plan
The strongest signals being rising demand, reform complexity, workforce pressure, digital transformation, equity, and the need for more integrated and community-centred responses.
This has led us to Adelaide PHN’s 2026–2029 focus on equity and access, stronger partnerships, co-designed responses, and more effective use of data and insights to shape a connected, inclusive and future-ready primary health system for Adelaide.
Priorities for the next three years
Focus Area
Collaborate for better health
By 2029...
We will focus on cross sector partnerships that support the delivery of integrated, equitable, and person-centred care, improving population health outcomes in line with the Quintuple Aim.
1.Deepening shared stewardship with system partners (LHNs, ACCHOs/ACCOs, providers and social supports) through formal joint planning, governance and decisionmaking arrangements.
2.Improving system interface pathways to improve transitions and coordination across primary care, acute care, allied health and social services for priority populations.
3.Co-designing and co-investing in place-based initiatives with communities and partners to address access barriers and upstream drivers of inequity
4.Expanding integrated models of care, learning by partnering with research bodies and contributing to, and using, evidence from national PHN initiatives, research and evaluation
5.Enhanced governance through formalising data-enabled partnership arrangements, supporting a more digitally enabled, data-driven health system
Priorities for the next three years
Focus Area
Strategic commissioning to reduce inequity
By 2029...
We aim to reduce health inequity through strategic, equity-focused commissioning.
Investment will be allocated to areas of greatest need, commissioning will occur in collaboration with communities, and partnerships will be established across the system to address social, cultural, and structural determinants of inequity and enhance health outcomes.
Commonwealth-led reform directions will be translated into locally co-designed commissioning strategies by participating in PHN national initiatives, while local insights will be shared to contribute to national discussions on system reform.
1.Equity-driven, community-informed commissioning ensures that priority communities are actively engaged in designing and delivering services aimed at reducing inequities, eliminating access barriers, and enhancing outcomes.
2.Integration of lived and living experiences is embedded throughout all stages of commissioning to inform decision-making and service delivery
3.Culturally safe and responsive service design supports inclusive and locally informed service provision, while also advocating for policy and systemic change in collaboration with communities and partners.
4.Outcome- and experience-focused investment utilises data, communityderived evidence, PROMs, and PREMs to evaluate impact, equity, and experience, thereby supporting continuous improvement
5.Enhanced health and social care integration promotes continuity of care and fosters stronger connections across health, social, and community services, ultimately improving commissioning and governance (market shaping/stewardship).
6.Community-informed data and governance strategies, together with Indigenous Data Governance principles, ensure the ethical, secure, and purposeful use of data
Priorities for the next three years
Focus Area
Equitable access to integrated Primary Care
By 2029...
We aim to enhance equitable access to primary care for vulnerable and priority populations. This includes focusing on care that is culturally responsive, delivered in a timely and coordinated manner, and ultimately reduces unnecessary hospital admissions while improving health outcomes.
Access will be improved by implementing targeted commissioning strategies, building the capability of primary care providers, developing culturally responsive primary care models, and fostering system-level collaboration across both health and social care sectors.
1 Strengthening culturally safe primary care through partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and community-controlled organisations
2.Integrate multidisciplinary teams for people with complex needs.
3.Improve system navigation and referral pathways across primary care, allied health, acute care and social supports
4.Place based and Community Insights address local access gaps.
5.Apply data and community-informed evidence to identify unmet need, monitor equity, and guide investments.
