Allied Health Co-Location Program
Embedding physiotherapy and psychology services into a super clinic
The Problem
A large GP super clinic was losing referrals to external providers, with fragmented patient care and missed revenue diversification opportunities.
Our Approach
Designed and implemented a co-location model embedding physiotherapy and psychology services within the existing clinic, including operational workflows, shared care protocols, and integrated billing.
The Outcomes
Internal referral conversion increased to 78%, patient satisfaction scores rose by 31%, and allied health services now contribute 28% of total clinic revenue.
Key Results
78%
Internal Referral Rate
+31%
Patient Satisfaction Increase
28%
Revenue from Allied Health
+120
New Patients per Month
The Challenge
This Melbourne-based super clinic had operated as a standalone GP practice for over a decade, servicing a diverse patient demographic across the south-eastern suburbs. With 18 consulting rooms and 14 GPs, the clinic had strong patient throughput but was increasingly aware that a significant proportion of referrals were flowing to external allied health providers.
Patient feedback consistently highlighted the inconvenience of attending separate locations for physiotherapy, psychology, and other allied health services. GPs reported frustration with delayed communication from external providers and difficulty coordinating shared care plans.
The clinic's leadership team identified several core issues:
- Over 60% of GP referrals to physiotherapy and psychology were directed to external providers with no feedback loop
- Patients attending external allied health providers had lower follow-up compliance rates
- The clinic's revenue was entirely dependent on GP consultation fees, creating vulnerability to policy changes
- Unused consulting rooms during off-peak hours represented a significant opportunity cost
- No existing framework for integrating allied health practitioners into the clinic's operational model
Our Approach
We worked with the clinic over a four-month period to design, implement, and embed a co-located allied health program.
Needs Assessment & Service Design
We began with a detailed analysis of the clinic's referral data, patient demographics, and local market supply of allied health services. This identified physiotherapy and psychology as the highest-priority disciplines based on referral volume, patient demand, and gap analysis of local provider availability.
We then designed the service model, including:
- Practitioner engagement structure (independent contractor model with shared services agreement)
- Room allocation and scheduling optimisation to maximise utilisation without disrupting existing GP operations
- Shared care protocols enabling bidirectional communication between GPs and allied health practitioners
- Integrated patient journey mapping from GP consultation through to allied health appointment and follow-up
Operational Setup
Our team managed the operational build-out, including:
- Fit-out specifications for physiotherapy treatment rooms within existing consulting spaces
- Practice management software configuration to support multi-discipline scheduling and billing
- Reception workflow redesign to handle allied health bookings, Medicare claims, and private health fund processing
- Marketing collateral and patient communication materials to promote the new services
Training & Go-Live Support
We delivered training to reception staff on allied health billing (including Medicare Allied Health items under Chronic Disease Management plans), private health fund claiming, and the new scheduling workflows. GPs received orientation sessions on the referral pathways and shared care protocols.
We provided on-site support for the first four weeks post-launch to troubleshoot operational issues and optimise workflows in real time.
The Results
Within the first 12 months, the co-location program delivered substantial improvements across clinical, operational, and financial metrics:
- 78% internal referral conversion — up from less than 15% when all referrals went externally
- Patient satisfaction scores increased by 31%, with patients citing convenience and coordinated care as primary drivers
- Allied health services now contribute 28% of total clinic revenue, significantly diversifying the income base
- 120 additional new patients per month attributed to allied health services attracting patients who subsequently register with the clinic's GPs
- Shared care plan completion rates improved by 45%, with GPs reporting substantially better communication and follow-up
- Room utilisation during off-peak hours increased from 22% to 84%
“The co-location program has completely changed how our clinic operates. Patients love the convenience, GPs are seeing better outcomes, and the financial results speak for themselves.”
Michael Tran
Practice Manager
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