The ACCC has issued a draft determination proposing to authorise arrangements which allow WA Primary Health Alliance Ltd (WAPHA) and a group of organisations managing other Primary Health Networks (PHNs, collectively, the Participating PHNs) to jointly scale up and develop their own data extraction software for use by the Participating PHNs and their affiliated General Practice (GP) clinics (the Proposed Conduct).
PHNs are independent, not-for-profit organisations funded by the Commonwealth Government to coordinate primary health care services in the regions that they are responsible for. PHNs are required to collect and analyse a range of population and health data, specifically including de-identified GP clinics data. Currently, most PHNs enable this data extraction by procuring data extraction software from third party suppliers and providing it to their affiliated GP clinics.
The ACCC considers that the Proposed Conduct is likely to result in public benefit primarily in the form of cost savings which will be likely, in turn, allow PHNs to be more effective at achieving their objective of improving public health. The ACCC also considers any public detriment is likely to be limited.
The ACCC proposes to grant authorisation for 5 years.
The ACCC invites submissions in response to this draft determination by 28 January 2022 before making its final determination.
Interim authorisation has also been granted to allow WAPHA, the applicant and lead-PHN on the project, to facilitate the joint funding and development of the data extraction tool prior to the ACCC’s final determination.
A copy of the application for authorisation and the ACCC’s draft determination and interim authorisation decision are available on the public register