Silver Chain has a long and proud history of serving Australians for over 110 years in Western Australia and more than 120 years as RDNS in South Australia. Over the past 10 years, Silver Chain Group has grown from a state-based organisation of 2,300 staff to a national organisation of more than 4,000 staff spread across 5 states.

 

Background and Context for Opportunity

In April 2017, the NSW Government through the Health Administration Corporation (NSW Health) and Silver Chain signed an Implementation Agreement for the first social impact investment in the Australian health sector targeting a reduction in the National Weighted Activity Unit (NWAU) for palliative patients through the delivery of community palliative care services. NSW Government funds the Silver Chain Community Palliative Care Service in Western Sydney which is being delivered in partnership with the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD).

 

When the Silver Chain Community Palliative Care Service achieves agreed social outcomes, this generates significant social and economic benefits. These benefits create savings for the government while improving social outcomes. Part of these savings can then be used to cover the costs of delivering the service and make payments to Silver Chain commensurate with the outcomes achieved.

 

The intent of the Silver Chain Community Palliative Care Service is to deliver community palliative care services to over 8,000 individuals in the WSLHD area over a seven year period (FY2017/18 to FY2024/25) with the following expected social and economic outcomes:

 

palliative and end of life care is received in a place of choice;

reduction in unplanned hospitalisations; and

reduction in NWAUs in the Intervention Group as compared to a Control Group.

The Silver Chain Community Palliative Care Service is governed by the Joint Working Group for the purpose of operations and evaluation, which includes membership from the NSW Government, WSLHD and Silver Chain.

 

The Silver Chain Community Palliative Care Service is required to be evaluated by an Independent Evaluator and include a process evaluation, an outcome evaluation, and a cost effectiveness analysis.

 

The evaluation has four phases, Phase 1 the development of an evaluation framework and plan and Phase 2 the implementation review and baseline report, have already been completed.

 

Silver Chain is seeking the services of an Independent Evaluator to conduct Phase 3 interim report, and Phase 4 final report. It is expected that both Phase 3 and Phase 4 will be completed by the same Independent Evaluator, Phase 4 being a continuation of the Agreement upon satisfactory completion of Phase 3. Additionally, the evaluation framework and plan are to be reviewed by the Independent Evaluator in Phase 3 and where necessary updated in collaboration with the Joint Working Group to optimise the evaluation process and utility of the evaluation findings.