Diabetes Alliance Program Plus

Hunter New England Local Health District 

Winner: People and Culture Award

The Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+) supports optimal diabetes care from John Hunter Hospital specialists and general practitioners across the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), improving access to specialised and integrated care, and standardising evidence-based clinical knowledge.

Since 2023, DAP+ has expanded to:

• Offer Masterclass education to NSW Health junior medical officers, General Practitioner registrars, nurses, and allied health clinicians in public and private sectors. 
• Introduce a Diabetes and Endocrine Advice Line and Virtual Case Conferencing, enabling urgent specialist input.  
• Embedded an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW) into the program, with supported upskilling to Practitioner status.  
• Translated research into clinical practice.

Over 6,500 capability-building case conferences have been delivered, with 15% of participants identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Outcomes include significant improvements in glucose control (HbA1c reduction 0.9%), weight and cholesterol levels after 6 months. More than 100 education sessions have reached 3,000+ clinicians. Analysis of almost 15,000+ patients in participating practices shows a 5-8% reduction in hospitalisations over 5 years. Ethics approval from the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, led by the AHW and DAP+ Aboriginal Reference Group, will now determine the impact of DAP+ for Aboriginal peoples.