Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has invested in healthier communities by funding more than $70 million towards commissioning primary health services, coordinating care, and building the capacity of the workforce across northern Queensland in 2024-25.
According to the 2024-25 Annual Report, NQPHN invested $70.7 million in a range of priority area initiatives, including comprehensive mental health services that are tailored to the needs of the individual accessing care, continuous professional development for health professionals, and multidisciplinary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic health disease.
Board Chair Jeff Stewart-Harris said NQPHN had collaborated with health providers and the Hospital and Health Services in Torres and Cape, Cairns and Hinterland, Townsville, and Mackay to improve access to – and support of – primary and mental health services.
“Over the past year, we’ve continued to strengthen partnerships with general practices, mental health organisations, pharmacies, allied health services, aged care, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and Aboriginal Medical Services – working together towards our shared vision of a healthy future for all northern Queenslanders,” Mr Stewart-Harris said.
“Through the NQPHN-funded initiatives, we have seen more general practitioners and allied health professionals brought into rural communities, more chronic condition management support, and mental health care access that prioritises lived experience and culturally safe, compassionate care throughout each stage of the mental health journey.”
Highlights from the Annual Report include:
- Providing localised and face-to-face support to help older persons navigate and access health and aged care services, with 2,281 client engagements.
- NQPHN-funded mental health services delivering 66,593 support interactions with clients, including therapy sessions and telehealth. There were 7,768 new clients who accessed these services. These include MyndKind, which improves care access for those facing barriers such as financial hardship, remote location, and limited transport, and Universal Aftercare, which offers timely, non-clinical, and compassionate support to people following a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis.
- 91 Continuing Professional Development education and training events, supporting 1,321 health professionals to strengthen their skills and knowledge through training in areas such as general practice essential skills, emergency planning, CPR, first aid, and heart failure.
- 12 service providers supported First Nations clients to manage chronic conditions through 59,833 Integrated Team Care services.
- Partnering with general practices through 397 visits and 6,346 support interactions, helping practices access advice, resources and solutions to improve patient care and strengthen services, and providing reform enabling skills such as supporting MyMedicare registration.
- NQPHN-funded programs such as the Proactive Chronic Conditions Management Continuous Quality Improvement supports 30 GPs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation teams to deliver chronic disease management.
- Rolling out a Digital Capability Grants Program, which supported allied health practices with the adoption of technology such as electronic health records, telehealth, and other digital tools to improve patient care, data security, and operational efficiency.
- Working closely with our Hospital and Health Service partners to develop the Joint Regional Needs Assessment (JRNA), which provides a shared understanding of the key health priorities across northern Queensland, and lays the groundwork for better planning, targeted investment, and stronger partnerships.
NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Ben Tooth said the Annual Report highlighted a range of programs and services delivered and funded by NQPHN, which were developed to help deliver better health outcomes for northern Queenslanders.
“We are committed to addressing the primary healthcare needs of northern Queensland and we are proud to highlight some of our achievements,” Mr Tooth said.
“Our teams are dedicated to working alongside local health providers to improve healthcare services, and to hearing the voices of our region and supporting them, so they have access to the care and services they need.
“The Annual Report reflects our commitment to collaboration and innovation, ensuring communities across northern Queensland have access to the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”
NQPHN’s 2024-25 Annual Report can be viewed here.
About NQPHN
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) works together with our partners to connect existing local services to simplify the healthcare system, fund primary care and mental health services based on the needs of local communities, and support primary care and mental health providers to build their skills and deliver the highest quality patient care.
For more information, visit www.nqphn.com.au