Designing services around regional need 

Through its commissioning role, MPHN ensures available health funding is invested in services that address the identified needs of communities and improve the health and wellbeing of people across the region.  

During 2025-2026, MPHN commissioned 125 organisations and providers to deliver services and activities responding to identified regional health needs. Together, these partnerships extend the reach of primary care, strengthen local capability and help people access the right care, closer to home. 

Commissioning is much more than funding services. It starts with understanding local health needs and gaps, then designing or procuring services to address them, monitoring how they perform and using evidence and community experience to continually improve them. 

MPHN combines service and population data with insights from providers and the community. Performance is monitored through regular financial and activity reporting, development of agreed outcomes, and ongoing engagement with commissioned providers, while feedback gathered through the Clinical Councils, the Community Advisory Committee, Local Health Advisory Committees, Conversations on the Couch, Yarns on the Couch, and other engagement helps identify emerging needs and gaps.  

“Good commissioning starts with understanding what our communities need and, where possible, designing services around those needs,” MPHN Senior Lead Design and Innovation Shane Delves said. “Increasingly, we’re bringing together data, local experience and co-design to improve access and identify needs earlier, with the aim of delivering better health outcomes for communities across the Murrumbidgee.” 

Throughout 2025-26, MPHN commissioned a diverse range of activities across primary care, mental health, aged care, chronic disease, prevention and other areas of regional need.