Name Flinders and Far North Division of General Practice Division Number 512 Classification Rural Number of Member GPs 24 State South Australia Year Established 1994 Number of Member Practices 13 Postcodes Covered 5433, 5434, 5485, 5700, 5710, 5720, 5722, 5723, 5724, 5725, 5730, 5731, 5732, 5733, 5734 Population 27,204 (2001 Census) Area Covered Five local government areas and the unincorporated areas of Flinders and Far North, which cover over 751 103 square kilometres. CEO Ms Leeann Harbridge Chair Dr Tony Lian-Lloyd Physical Address: First Floor, Administration Centre 71 Hospital Road PORT AUGUSTA SA 5700 Australia Postal Address: First Floor, Administration Centre 77 Hospital Road PORT AUGUSTA SA 5700 Australia Email: venessa.blinman@flindiv.com.au Phone: 08 8642 3166 Fax: 08 8642 3766 Website: http://www.flindiv.com.au

 The Flinders and Far North Division of General Practice has been formed by General Practitioners to provide an infrastructure to co-ordinate and implement General Practice programmes in the local community. The aim is to enhance the quality of patient care by improving the standards of General Practice.

To strengthen General Practice it is important for the Division to identify and respond to the health care requirements of its members and the community at large. The Division develops and implements strategies in response to those needs, and actively pursue their adoption and implementation to reduce existing inadequacies.

The Flinders and Far North Division of the General Practices main office is based in Port Augusta and is located within the Port Augusta Hospital. The Division has been formed to provide an infrastructure to coordinate and implement General Practice programs in the local community. The aim is to enhance the quality of patient care by improving the standards of General Practice.

The township of Port Augusta is the focal point and with some 12 000 residents, has the role of transport terminal and regional service centre. The main industries of Port Augusta are the retail trade, transport and storage, education and health and community services. The remainder of the population are located in the townships of Woomera, Roxby Downs, Andamooka, Tarcoola, Cook, Glendambo, Coober Pedy, Marla, Mintabie, Oodnadatta, Marree, Leigh Creek, Blinman, Hawker and Quorn. There are, of course, many people who reside outside of these townships on pastoral properties.

Of the other major centres, Coober Pedy, Leigh Creek and Roxby Downs are mining towns. Woomera is a Commonwealth Government administered Defence area, while Quorn and Hawker are pastoral service centres.

The Flinders and Far North is a unique region with high health needs and low socio-economic indices. This is often compounded by isolation and difficulty in health care delivery. It is essential that careful consideration be given to the health needs of Aboriginal people who form a significant part of the regional population. This region has a large number of Aboriginal residents. There are six Aboriginal communities at Coober Pedy, Oodnadatta, Port Augusta, Nepabunna, Davenport and Umoona.

The Royal Flying Doctor service is based at Port Augusta and conducts regular clinics to townships and properties within this Division or, if medical services are required in between visits, services are provided by way of phone or radio consultation to the base at Port Augusta. These consultations are usually organised through the local Registered Nurse or by way of radio contact from the various properties within this Division.

The Flinders and Far North Division covers an area of  751,104 square kilometres - some three quarters of the State of South Australia. In essence this is the area to the east and west of Port Augusta, extending from the the Western Australian border to that of the New South Wales border and north to the border of the Northern Territory, excluding the Far North West portion of the State that encompasses the Pitjatjantjara Aboriginal Lands. Due to the vastness of the Division, it is imperative that the Royal Flying Doctor service plays a major role in providing a good medical service to remote people within this region to ensure that their health requirements are met.