South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) | Primary Health Network (PHN) | Migration to Qlik Cloud Analytics
About South Western Sydney Primary Health Network
South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) is one of 31 not-for-profit health organisations in Australia, funded by the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care. These organisations work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regional health services by supporting general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, and other service providers.
SWSPHN serves seven local government areas with one million residents and 1,300 GPs across approximately 400 practices. Its 100 staff rely heavily on data from multiple internal and external sources to support functions that include providing annual assessments to the Federal Government and allocating funding to specific initiatives.
Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network said that implementing Qlik, through the specialist services of Notitia, has provided better access to data.
“Some of the key challenges we have are unstructured datasets and data coming from all over. That’s where Qlik is such a key enabler. When we are setting up particular sources, we're able to share those among our data team very easily.”
- Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
Accessing Insights from Multiple Internal and External Sources
SWSPHN has multiple roles in the provision of healthcare in its region, all of which depend heavily on its ability to gather, analyse, and report on data relating to community healthcare requirements and service provision.
Key responsibilities include:
- Allocating government funding for specific initiatives.
- Working with practitioners to improve healthcare provision.
- Reporting to the Federal Government on community needs.
To allocate funding, SWSPHN must quantify primary healthcare needs, design services to meet them, and award tenders to fulfil those requirements. Gathering and analysing the necessary data to achieve this is a vital part of the process.
“Primary Health Networks are provided with funds for services to meet specific needs in their area. We then have to work out how the service should be designed to meet those needs, and that requires lots of data.”
- Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
Additionally, SWSPHN’s statutory data and reporting requirements are not static and can change significantly depending on government directives. The datasets it needs come from multiple internal and external sources, many of which are unstructured.
SWSPHN also needed to improve reporting capabilities for healthcare providers, who submit information through SWSPHN that is then consolidated and published in government reports. Previously, providers were unable to see the results of their submissions in real time, and the reproduced data was often inaccurate or incomplete.
Cloud Migration Improves Analysis, Collaboration, and Security
Notitia delivered a suite of specialised services to ensure the success of SWSPHN's transition to Qlik Cloud Analytics:
- Data Strategy: Conducted a detailed assessment of SWSPHN's existing data infrastructure and aligned it with their strategic goals.
- Data Analytics: some text
- Cloud Migration: Seamlessly transitioned all existing Qlik applications to a cloud-based SaaS environment while preserving data integrity and business logic.
- Custom Dashboard Development: Created tailored dashboards to provide healthcare stakeholders with actionable insights and improve decision-making.
- Integration with Existing Tools: Connected Qlik Sense with Office 365 and MS Teams to enhance collaboration and streamline workflows.
- Aesthetic and Functional Customisation: Aligned the platform's design with SWSPHN's branding for a consistent user experience.
- Data Literacy Training: Empowered SWSPHN's team with the knowledge and skills needed to maximise the value of Qlik Cloud Analytics.
SWSPHN had been using Qlik Sense Client-Managed for its data analysis and reporting for several years. The decision to migrate its environment to Qlik Cloud Analytics was driven by the need to access the benefits of a cloud-based service, including:
- Secure, real-time access to data for SWSPHN employees and external healthcare bodies.
- Improved collaboration between teams.
- Easier integration with existing and future external data sources.
Like all Australian Primary Health Networks, SWSPHN is working to achieve certification to the ISO 27001 information security standard. Cloud-based software made this much easier to achieve. Migrating to Qlik Cloud Analytics addressed these challenges by providing flexible licensing, enhanced scalability, and stronger security measures.
SWSPHN’s initial impetus to move Qlik to the cloud came through strategic advice from Alex Avery, founder and Managing Director at Notitia, who provided expertise on modernising their data environment. While SWSPHN initially approached Notitia to manage its on-premises Qlik implementation, discussions led to the decision to migrate to Qlik Cloud Analytics.
“Notitia put together an impressive proposal for us that went to our executive for consideration, and was approved.”
- Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
Notitia ensured that all existing Qlik applications functioned in the new environment, integrated Qlik Sense - SaaS (Cloud) with Office 365 and MS Teams for collaboration, developed user guides, conducted staff training, and implemented aesthetic customisations to align Qlik products with SWSPHN’s branding and web platforms. The migration was completed efficiently in just 10 days, ensuring minimal disruption while maintaining data integrity.
“This project wasn’t just about moving to the cloud; it was about ensuring that SWSPHN could leverage the full potential of their data. We designed every element of the solution to empower their team, ensuring long-term success.”
- Alex Avery, Notitia Managing Director
Better Insights into Healthcare Needs and Service Provision
SWSPHN went live with its Qlik Cloud Analytics implementation in April 2024 and has since launched several projects to take advantage of the enhanced functionality.
“More people have better access to data. That’s leading to better insights and ultimately better outcomes for the programs and initiatives that we manage for the people of South Western Sydney.”
- Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
Two initial programs at the pilot stage—one focusing on mental health and another on alcohol and drug abuse—are designed to give external users access to key data and analysis. Once fully validated, they will be rolled out to approximately 50 health organisations to improve insights into their activities, enabling better planning and enhanced operations.
Another project will leverage Qlik Cloud Analytics to develop and report on KPIs, enabling the SWSPHN board to better understand and assess how well the organisation is meeting its objectives.
The migration also enabled SWSPHN to link multiple external and siloed sources of data on healthcare initiatives, outcomes, and patients, providing previously unavailable high-value insights.
“My team are huge advocates for Qlik. We can get up to four requests a week to build new apps, and being able to quickly spin these up based on data from a source that’s already been saved is just so efficient.”
- Nick McGhie, Digital Health & Data Manager, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
Key Outcomes
- Cost Savings: Eliminating on-premises server maintenance and Azure infrastructure offset the SaaS license fees, delivering an immediate return on investment.
- Enhanced Decision-Making: Real-time access to accurate, reliable data empowered SWSPHN’s leadership and healthcare providers to allocate resources effectively and improve outcomes.
- Improved Collaboration: Integration with Office 365 and MS Teams enabled seamless workflows for data management and dashboard development.
- Operational Efficiency: Automated reporting reduced manual workloads, freeing up resources for strategic initiatives.
- Scalability and Flexibility: The cloud environment supports future data source integrations and evolving analytics needs.
“At Notitia, we believe in creating trust in data. Our mission is to provide organisations like SWSPHN with the tools they need to make informed, impactful decisions. This project is a testament to how data can drive meaningful change in healthcare.”
- Alex Avery, Notitia Managing Director
About Notitia
Notitia is an Australian-owned consultancy firm founded in 2019. We specialise in helping organisations modernise their data environments and leverage advanced analytics to make informed, impactful decisions. By blending technical expertise with a collaborative, no-nonsense approach, we deliver tailored solutions that solve the right problems and create trust in data. Visit our team page to find out more about who we are and what we do.
