Townsville’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) and headspace centre were in the spotlight recently when the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, the Honourable Emma McBride MP, visited the facilities. 

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) accompanied Assistant Minister McBride on her recent Ministerial visit to the Townsville Medicare UCC and headspace Townsville. 

NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney said the Assistant Minister’s Townsville visit provided an opportunity to meet with the service providers and witness firsthand the impact they are having in the community. 

“It’s inspiring to visit providers on the ground and hear their stories and outcomes of North Queenslanders living happier, healthier, longer lives thanks to the work they are doing,” Mr Rooney said. 

“It’s our mission at Northern Queensland PHN that all North Queenslanders can access the right care at the right time when they need it most, from urgent care to mental health care for young people.” 

The first stop was the newly opened Townsville Medicare UCC, where Assistant Minister McBride, NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney, and Executive Director Health Services Commissioning Ruth Azzopardi toured the clinic with Townsville Medicare UCC’s lead project manager Kristie Wyeth and practice manager Megan Turner.  

Since opening in December, and at the time of publishing, the clinic has seen more than 1,600 people, averaging 38 visits a day, with the most common urgent care conditions including urinary tract infections (UTIs), tonsilitis, skin infections, and lacerations. 

The Townsville Medicare UCC offers walk-in care to treat urgent non-life-threatening conditions that can be managed without a trip to the emergency department but cannot wait for a regular appointment with a GP.   

“The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Townsville is a fantastic example of our local health stakeholders in Townsville working together to create a new asset to help the community,” Mr Rooney said. 

“We know the Townsville University Hospital sees on average 280 people a day, and now with the Townsville Medicare UCC seeing about 38 people a day, it’s helping to take pressure off the hospital’s emergency department. 

“It’s also allowing people to access urgent care without having to wait for hours in the emergency room.” 

Mr Rooney said the Townsville Medicare UCC was jointly funded by the Federal and Queensland State Governments, and was making a tangible difference to the lives of Townsville residents.  

After visiting the Townsville Medicare UCC, Mr Rooney, Mrs Azzopardi, and Assistant Minister McBride toured headspace Townsville and spoke with the centre’s staff, including the headspace Townsville GP who is available three days a week.  

headspace Townsville provides counselling and other services for young people aged 12-25 to support their mental health, and is funded by NQPHN through the Department of Health and Aged Care. 

The trio also sat down with headspace Townsville Centre Manager Steven Brooke to discuss the mental health needs of young people in North Queensland.  

Mr Rooney said the tour offered valuable insight into the work headspace Townsville was doing with local young people. 

“The headspace Townsville team is doing some truly impactful work that is making a significant difference in the lives of young people in Townsville, including through programs for First Nations young people,” Mr Rooney said.  

Featured image caption: NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney and Executive Director Health Services Commissioning Ruth Azzopardi, pictured with the Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, and Townsville Medicare UCC lead project manager Kristie Wyeth and practice manager Megan Turner.

Secondary image caption: NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, the Hon Emma McBride MP, NQPHN Executive Director Health Services Commissioning Ruth Azzopardi, and headspace Townsville Centre Manager Steven Brooke. 

Embracing new experiences and expanding their horizons, 25 young people from the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) recently travelled to Cairns for an inspiring youth leadership camp. 

The group, aged between 12 and 25, travelled with five Northern Peninsula Area Family and Community Services (NPAFACS) youth team leaders from Bamaga to Redlynch for the camp, which was run by NPAFACS and The Northern Outlook (TNO). 

Remote Alcohol Drug Intervention Outcomes (RADIO) Support Worker Odessa Sabatino said the goal of the leadership camp was to empower the young people, enable resilience and self-leadership, and enhance their worldview. 

“By positively exposing the young people to life outside NPA, they can develop their sense of curiosity and future potential,” Ms Sabatino said. 

“The youths enjoyed themselves and had a positive experience. Some of them had never visited Cairns before, and therefore it was an enlightening experience for them.  

“Other young people are now keen to be selected for the next leadership camp because the group returned full of enthusiasm and with good stories for their friends and other youths in the NPA community.” 

Ms Sabatino said the NPA communities had many great role models and elders to guide the young people. 

“However, we are also encouraging them to self-lead and role model good behaviour, practice safe and healthy social and emotional regulation, and practice help and health-seeking behaviours,” she said. 

“The incentive for this trip was to value education and attend school, show respect to teachers, parents, and community members, and actively participate and engage with youth services, such as book club, the Respectful Relationships Youth Group, AOD education, and counselling. 

“This camp presented participants with an opportunity to work as a team and develop skills as a group and team players.  

“It also enabled them to manage time and organise themselves for various activities, budgeting money for shopping trips and excursions, and adaptable behaviour to bigger city norms.” 

The NPA FACS youth team staff members also ran activities during the camp, including a yarning circle, myths and legends storytelling, and cultural leadership with each person’s clan’s winds and totems to identify themselves and connect. 

NPA FACS Youth Team Leader – Youth Services Susita Vout said the totem activity, facilitated by youth staff members, showed the group that they are all connected even though they come from different communities. 

The young people agreed. 

“This camp is good because it connects all five communities and we can do group activities with our friends from school who live in different communities,” one told Ms Vout. 

Others enjoyed hiking to the waterfalls and the group activities. They all appreciated having the opportunity to visit a “big city” and said it felt special to be selected. 

Ms Vout said the camp and activities helped the young people develop trust, work together, and bond. But they also got to experience life in the big smoke. 

“On the last day of camp, the Youth Team decided to take the children to the go-karts and laser tag, she said. “They had an awesome time and loved every bit of the camp. They also enjoyed a seafood feast and some shopping.” 

NPA FACS thanked and acknowledged TSRA and Bamaga Enterprise Limited, who contributed to the youth camp to help make it possible for young people of the NPA communities to visit Cairns for the leadership camp. 

The Remote Alcohol Drug Intervention Outcomes (RADIO) program is funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN).