A health and well-being planning model for enhancing primary health care services in a selected Cape Metropolitan Subdistrict of Cape Metropolitan Region

Abstract

Non-compliance with legislative provisions has resulted in inadequate Primary Health Care (PHC) services for the Eastern sub-district community within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. This non-compliance includes governance failures, such as the absence of committee meetings required to oversee the responsibilities outlined in the legislation. The consequences are visible in the prevalence of infectious diseases, limited public access to clinics, and the lack of expansion of health services despite growing population trends. This challenging context forms the backdrop for the study, which aims to identify the underlying causes of legislative non-compliance, propose a planning intervention, and validate its potential to improve the situation. The research population comprises fourteen clinic managers overseeing twelve clinics in the area, and fifteen purposively selected ward committee members. The study employs a mixed-methods design using an explanatory sequential approach, in which the results of the quantitative survey with clinic managers (conducted through a Likert-scale questionnaire) are further explained and enriched by qualitative findings from open-ended interviews with ward committee members. The analysis ultimately supports the application of a mixed planning approach to develop a model for improving PHC services in this Cape Metropolitan subdistrict.