The Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN) is the PHN responsible for improving primary health care across the region from Bondi to Sutherland. It is governed by a Board of Directors and informed by two advisory councils: the Clinical Council and the Community Council.
The St George Division of General Practice is one of seven member companies of CESPHN — a formal governance structure that gives Divisions a direct role in shaping the PHN's strategic priorities, commissioning decisions, and accountability mechanisms.
Through participation in the CESPHN Chairs Committee, our Division President Dr Sara Whimster represents the interests of GPs in the St George area at the PHN governance level — a position of significant influence in regional health planning.
The St George Division is engaged across all three levels of CESPHN governance, ensuring our GP community's voice informs decisions from strategic policy to operational delivery.
CESPHN commissions a significant range of primary health care services in our region — from mental health programmes and chronic disease management to after-hours GP services and workforce support. The priorities CESPHN sets directly affect what services are available to our patients and what support is available to our practices.
By holding a member company seat, the St George Division has a direct governance role in ensuring CESPHN is accountable to the GP community and responsive to local health needs. We can formally raise issues, participate in consultations, and influence strategic planning before decisions are made.
This is among the most significant — and least visible — aspects of the Division's advocacy work. It is influence exercised at the systems level, on behalf of every GP in the St George community.
If you have views on what CESPHN should prioritise for the St George region — whether it's mental health, aged care, workforce, or chronic disease — please share them with us. Our representative brings GP feedback directly to the governance table.
Get in touch with our Division President to share issues or priorities you'd like represented at the CESPHN governance level.