Sutherland Division of General Practice Profile
The Sutherland Division of General Practice was established in 1994 as an incorporated association. There are 122 Divisions of General Practice in Australia. The Division receives funding under the terms of a funding contract entered into with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.
The Management Committee consisting of ten general practitioners meets monthly and is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Division, providing leadership to put those aims into effect and supervising their management. The Management Committee is also accountable to the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for the use of public funds made available to enhance the development of Divisional structures and to promote the increased involvement of GPs in health planning and delivery of primary health care services. Under the direction of the Management Committee, a full time Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the implementation of strategy and the day to day management of the Division. The Division has 13 program and administrative staff.
Program Advisory Committees The work of the Division is supported by a number of subcommittees, made up of general practitioners, specialists, area health service representatives and consumers. All program areas, with the exception of Immunisation, are guided by the recommendations of subcommittees.
Demographic Profile Sutherland Division of General Practice 2007
These documents have been developed by the Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU). A collaborating unit of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and is located at The University of Adelaide in the Australian Institute for Social Research. PHIDU has been established by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to assist in the development of public health data, data systems and indicators.
| Sutherland DGP Profile 2006 - 2007 (Warning Large File) |
PDF (0.97 MB) |
| Sutherland DGP Profile Supplement 2007 |
PDF (514KB) |
Division Profile - GP Profile 2006-2007
| Sutherland DGP Boundary (2006-2007) |
No. |
% |
| Total number of GPs |
223 |
100 |
| Males |
123 |
45 |
| Females |
100 |
55 |
| Members |
210 |
94 |
| No. of practices |
71 |
100 |
| Solo practices |
23 |
32 |
| Multiple practices |
48 |
68 |
| No. of part-time GPs |
88 |
39 |
| No. of full-time GPs |
135 |
61 |
Regional Health Authority
South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service
Public Hospitals
The Sutherland Hospital and Community Health Services Garrawarra Hospital
Private Hospitals
Kareena Private Hospital
President Private Hospital
Socio-demographic profile - Population
Population demographics: The Local Government Area of Sutherland Shire covers an area of 368.3 km˛ and is one of the largest council areas by population in Australia with a population density of approximately 557.8 people per km˛. Sutherland Shire is predominantly a residential area but also has substantial industrial, commercial and rural areas. Within its boundaries, there are four national parks, including Australia’s oldest, the Royal National Park.
According to the 2006 Census, the population of the Sutherland Shire is 205,450 of which 49.1% are male and 50.9% female. This represents an increase of 1.6% since the 2001 census. The estimated resident population (which takes into account people who missed the count on Census night and people counted in an area who are usually resident in another area) is 214,030. The original inhabitants of the Sutherland area are the Tharawal Aboriginal people. In the 2006 Census, approximately 0.6% of the population identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, compared with 1.1% for the Sydney Statistical Division (SSD) and 2.3% in Australia.
The population of the Sutherland Shire is ageing and it is expected that by 2020, 40% will be aged 55 years and over, and this number will continue to grow. The number of young people aged 0-19 years in the Sutherland Shire has slightly reduced since 1996 with significant growth in the 55 years and over in terms of total numbers and proportion of the Shire's population. 19.4% of the population are children between 0-14 years and 24.7% aged 55 years and over, compared to 19.5% and 22.5% respectively in the SSD. Likewise, the median age in the Sutherland Shire was also older than the SSD at 37 years compared to 35 years.
The population projections show a number of marked changes in age distribution, with the 2020 population projected to have:
- Much lower proportions of males and females aged 0-24 years, 30-34 years and 40-44 years;
- Higher proportions of males and females at ages 35-39 years; and
- At older ages – higher proportions of males and females from age 60 (with the exception of the 75-79 and 80-84 year age groups for females).
The 2006 Census recorded that the population of Sutherland Shire is relatively homogenous in character compared to more multicultural areas in the SSD. Sutherland has a comparatively small proportion of the population born overseas and also has less diversity in the range of countries of birth recorded. 78.1% of the population stated that they were 'Australian-born'. 14.4% of Shire residents speak a language other than English at home. English remains the main language spoken in the Sutherland Shire followed by Greek, Cantonese and Arabic. There has been a slight increase in the number of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
Socioeconomic indicators and Causes of Death
Socioeconomic indicators by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to determine socioeconomic rankings show that the area comprises a population of relatively high socio-economic status. In 2001, the SEIFA index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage score is 1079, 7.9% above the average score for Australia (1000) and above that for Sydney (1017). There are however variations across the area.
The ‘all causes’ death rate in the Sutherland Shire at ages 0 to 74 years at 236.3 deaths per 100,000 population is notably lower than for Sydney (273.4) and Australia (290.4). The major causes for premature mortality are cancer and diseases of the circulatory system.
General Practice demographics
Within the division's catchment, there are currently 217 GPs in active practice, an increase of eight since last reported to ACHS. Of these GPs, 95 (43.7%) are female and 122 (56.3%) are male. There are a total of 70 practices in the Sutherland Shire, a decrease of four since the last report. Twenty-two practices (31%) are solo, a decrease of two practices since last reported. The statistical local area of Sutherland Shire West is eligible for relocation incentives under the More Doctors for Outer Metropolitan Areas initiative.
Health services
Since January 2005 the Sutherland LGA has been a part of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarrra Area Health Service. There are six divisions of general practice in SESIAHS: Eastern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, St George, Sutherland, Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
The Sutherland Shire has one district hospital, The Sutherland Hospital, and a geriatric palliative care facility at Garrawarra, which collectively have 516 beds. In addition, there are two private hospitals: President Private and Kareena Private, providing 180 beds. Eleven private nursing homes and nine hostels provide 1,453 beds.
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