Joint Regional Needs Assessment

How can we help you today?

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) in collaboration with Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service (TCHHS), Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS), Townsville Hospital Health Service (THHS), and Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) are collectively working on a Joint Regional Needs Assessment (JRNA) to identify the health needs and service gaps within our region.

Background

The JRNA will supersede NQPHN's Health Needs Assessment (HNA). Previous HNAs can be found under the Resources section of this page.

The Joint Regional Needs Assessment (JRNA) is a key deliverable required by the Commonwealth and State governments. For Primary Health Networks (PHNs), the JRNA plays a foundational role in shaping our future commissioning strategy. For Hospital and Health Services, the JRNA supports identifying gaps in services and supports service planning.

For the first time in 2024, NQPHN and our four Hospital and Health Services (HHS) are working together under a new framework to deliver our JRNA. The framework and implementation toolkit have been collaboratively developed in partnership with Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), Health Consumers Queensland, Queensland PHNs, Queensland Government, and Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC).

The JRNA will help us collaboratively identify the health and service needs in our region and identify our health and service priorities. These priorities will then be used to inform planning and commissioning activities to improve health outcomes and access to services for northern Queenslanders.

JRNA process

At a very high level, the JRNA process involves the following:

Systematic identification of health and service needs across our region.
Examination of the prevalent health needs of our region looking at demographics, disease prevalence, healthcare utilisation, and social determinants of health.
Analysis of broader regional, state, and national data to contextualise our regions health needs. This helps us find trends and disparities in our region.
Identification of service gaps where there is unmet need for specific population groups or insufficient access to healthcare services.
Consultations with key stakeholders including clinicians and community members to gather diverse perspectives and insights.
Validation and triangulation of findings helps us ensure the information we have is accurate and reliable, reducing the risk of bias or misinterpretation.
Prioritisation using a standardised methodology helps us determine severity of need and potential impact of interventions. This will ensure we are prioritising health and service needs that will have the greatest health outcomes for our community.

We want to hear from you! Take the JRNA survey today.

This survey provides a way for us to collect your insights and perspectives on health and service needs as a stakeholder living or working within the NQPHN region.

The NQPHN region extends from St Lawrence in the south coast, up to the Torres Strait in the north, and west to Croydon and Kowanyama. We estimate this survey will take 10 minutes to complete.

Data privacy, confidentiality, and retention

Your participation in this survey is entirely anonymous and confidential.
Data collected will only be accessed by NQPHN and Hospital and Health Service Planning teams for thematic analysis purposes.
NQPHN will act as the custodian of all data collected, ensuring adherence to our internal data governance policies.
Any contact details shared will be used solely for the primary purpose associated with the JRNA. We will not use them for any secondary purpose without your explicit permission.