About the Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+)

The Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+) aims to improve health outcomes and the experience of care for patients with diabetes within their own general practice. 

The Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) began in 2015 as a partnership between Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) and the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (PHN) and transitioned from a pilot program in 2015 to business as usual in 2017. This collaboration allowed the cross-organisational sharing of skills, knowledge, and resources to develop a person-centred model of care that is efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable. 

Prior to the introduction of the Diabetes Alliance Program roll out in 2015, people living with diabetes in regional and remote areas relied either solely on their local GP and community health services for care provision or were required to travel to metropolitan centres to access care. The introduction of DAP has allowed primary care and specialist teams to work seamlessly to provide the best care in a team approach as close to home as possible for patients.

Diabetes Alliance Program expands to DAP+ 

In 2023 the Diabetes Alliance Program Initiative expanded to become the Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+) thanks to a generous philanthropic gift from the Colonial Foundation awarded in 2022. Two new partners officially joined the collaboration and expanded the partnership to include Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the University of Newcastle (UoN).

The expansion will allow the program to:

• Have an increased focus on regional and rural communities;

• Continue the existing DAP model but extend it to provide additional support for clinicians caring for people with diabetes across the Hunter New England Local Health District, including smartphone apps, advice lines, and telehealth;

• Incorporate robust research into DAP+, including health economics and how the program is benefiting the health system;

• Look to offer the program beyond the Hunter New England region, to other areas of NSW from 2025.