North Queensland general practitioners and other primary care professionals are encouraged to access these opportunities that are already benefitting many health professionals across our region.
NQPHN is dedicated to ensuring primary care providers like you are equipped to meet North Queensland’s evolving health needs. Our PCE Team supports practices by offering tailored training, data analysis, and digital tools to boost efficiency and sustainability. We focus on building your team’s skills and resources, integrating systems, and preparing for health reforms, all aimed at improving patient care and practice outcomes.
Learn more about the PCE team and meet your local reps here.
Explore all the initiatives and projects your practice and team can benefit from.
NQPHN offers free counselling support for all general practitioners (GPs), practice staff, pharmacists, and pharmacy staff in the NQPHN region through AccessEAP. AccessEAP is a voluntary, confidential, and complimentary counselling service. It is a short-term, solution-focused approach to help enhance overall wellbeing. Learn more.
NQPHN together with APNA, the peak body for primary health care nurses, are providing the opportunity for one nurse in every general practice, Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS), and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) across the NQPHN region with a fully funded APNA Corporate Membership* for up to 12 months. Learn more.
NQPHN has partnered with Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) to assist nurses in primary healthcare by funding additional places in the Transition to Practice Program. APNA’s Transition to Practice Program is an eight-month education, support, and mentoring program for nurses new to primary health care. Nurses transitioning into primary health care will be matched with an experienced nurse mentor. Learn more.
Consultant is a free program that provides GPs and their patients with access to specialist input without a face-to-face consultation. It provides GPs with the support they need to facilitate optimal patient care while also giving patients more timely access to rapid communication with specialist doctors. Learn more.
These workshops provide a comprehensive face-to-face workshop on General Practice Business Management, designed to equip practice managers and administrators with essential skills in strategic planning, business development, and team building. Places are limited in Mackay, Townville, and Cairns. Learn more.
Healthily GoShare Voice is a ground-breaking solution that revolutionises patient education and support through advanced conversational Voice AI technology. This innovation enables automated outbound phone calls with patients to provide relevant health information and support. Learn more.
When it comes to making well-informed decisions about mental health referrals, the IAR-DST provides a reliable, user-friendly, evidence-based tool. The tool has a six-year planning history and has been refined by the collective input of clinicians, academics, and an expert advisory group, including representatives from peak bodies, general practitioners, specialists, and the Department of Health and Aged Care. Learn more.
The Inca Integrated Care Platform is a comprehensive shared health record and care planning solution that connects patients and their care team. It improves patient care by enhancing communication and coordination among team members and streamlining workflows. Real-time access to patient information can lead to more efficient care, better coordination across teams, and reduced administrative tasks, ultimately allowing more focus on patient care. Learn more.
Primary Sense is an evidence based clinical audit and decision support tool that provides on demand, pre-filtered reports at the click of a button. NQPHN has committed to adopting Primary Sense – a population health management, clinical decision support, and data extraction tool and all eligible general practices who have signed a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) with NQPHN will receive Primary Sense free of charge. Learn more.
The Proactive Chronic Conditions Management (ProCCM) program is a Quality Improvement (QI) program focusing on system level changes and health reform impacting general practices and their patients. Learn more.
In partnership with James Cook University (JCU), this program delivers a series of regionally based education groups, run by GPs for GPs. Groups have been established in Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay, and facilitated in collaboration with NQPHN and JCU. This program is designed to assist GPs in achieving their necessary continuing professional development requirements while also facilitating local networking and providing a comprehensive understanding of the local landscape, with the rural locations in each area being actively included. Learn more.
NQPHN, in partnership with Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ), is working to build a sustainable primary care workforce through the recruitment and retention of general practitioners, nurses, and allied health professionals. This multifaceted campaign focuses on the recruitment and orientation of incoming health professionals to boost and grow the current workforce, while enhancing capability and improving capacity in priority NQPHN locations. Learn more.
The VIP program is designed to support the GP workforce and urgently build practice sustainability in Modified Monash Model (MMM) 4-7 locations. The program was developed in partnership with Western Queensland PHN (WQPHN), Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ), and three rural/remote Queensland general practices, with HWQ and Mater Research supporting the program in the northern Queensland region. EOI | Learn more.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to ensure your practice and staff are benefitting from the resources and support available!
Take advantage of these fully funded programs today to enhance your practice’s capacity and capability. The PCE Team is here to provide the support you need to succeed and adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape. We look forward to working with you and helping your practice thrive.
If you’d like to organise a practice visit or video call to discuss the opportunities available, simply email pce@nqphn.com.au and one of our friendly team members will get in touch soon.
Award-winning trainer Margaret Haynes has been a passionate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor for almost 30 years.
“I have a passion for teaching and seeing someone ‘get it’ is rewarding,” Ms Haynes said.
Ms Haynes recently conducted CPR training sessions for health professionals working in general practices and pharmacies in the Mackay region, as part of the North Queensland-wide Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Program funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN).
“It’s important for clinical and non-clinical staff in general practice and pharmacy to update their CPR knowledge and skills as part of their professional duty of care to help ensure patients receive care in response to a deteriorating condition,” she said.
“It also shows the credibility of the healthcare provider.
“The training in Mackay was well received at the sessions and participants as a group contributed to a relaxed environment to learn and demonstrate skills.”
More than 180 health professionals attended eight CPR courses run across Cairns, Townsville, Ayr, Atherton, and Mackay after NQPHN received 249 expressions of interest (EOI) for the fully funded training.
The Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course covered the knowledge and skills required to provide CPR, manage and assess an emergency situation, use an automatic external defibrillator (AED), understand the Danger, Response, Send, Airway, Breathing, CPR, and Defibrillation (DRSABCD) steps, and a first aider’s legal responsibility.
One Mackay participant said it was very informative and a great group size.
“I had fun while learning and the presenter answered questions with confidence,” they said.
Of the 182 participants across northern Queensland, an Ayr participant said it was an excellent program and “great to have it delivered in Ayr.”
A Cairns participant echoed that sentiment saying: “Professional, informative, relevant, educator was passionate and enthusiastic”.
While a Townsville participant said: “The CPR education session was very well organised and run. Very informative and interactive. Great overview of the subject with real-life examples made it very interesting.”
Ms Haynes received a Vocational Education Trainer Award in 2021 and has conducted CPR training in a variety of settings including acute care, TAFE, private registered training organisations (RTOs), community healthcare providers, and retail organisations.
She encourages practices that have an automated external defibrillator to register their defibrillator at Heart of the Nation to allow first responders to access the life-saving devices.
The most recent CPR courses funded by NQPHN were delivered by Australia Wide First Aid in Cairns, Atherton, Townsville, and Mackay, with The Job Shop delivering the course in Ayr. Participants are trained and assessed in line with Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines.
NQPHN funds access to a range of CPD courses for health professionals in North Queensland.
