Health Needs Assessments: writing the book on service demand
By Andrew Masterson
Picture: Shutterstock.
Health needs assessments (HNAs) are mandatory publications for all primary health networks, published every three years at the behest of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
NWMPHN’s most recent HNA, covering 2025 to 2028, brings together a rich picture of our community’s health and wellbeing. It combines comprehensive data analysis with insights gathered through interviews, workshops and surveys of community members, general practices, commissioned services, peak bodies, community health, acute health care and local government.
Grounded in the social determinants of health, the NWMPHN HNA Framework provides a systematic view of the factors that shape people’s health outcomes, their lived experience, and the barriers they face in accessing care across the region. This evidence directly informs NWMPHN’s priorities, outlined in its Strategic Plan, guiding how we design and fund services to best support health service providers and build healthy, resilient communities.
“The 2025-28 Health Needs Assessment and its supplementary data file together comprise more than 400 pages of carefully curated insights,” said Austen Keating, Population Health Analyst.
“They are a key resource not only for us, but for other health system planners and policy-makers across Victoria.”
Collaboration for greater impact
NWMPHN’s expertise in compiling this type of report is increasingly recognised. This year we partnered with Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network to produce its HNA.
By aligning our approach, we enhanced innovation and efficiency, leveraged shared knowledge and tools, and developed a comprehensive, evidence-based resource to guide planning and decision making.
Read more about
our approach here.
