Name Cairns Division of General Practice Division Number 413 Classification Rural Number of Member GPs 296 (as at November 2004) State Queensland Year Established 1992 Number of Member Practices 46 Postcodes Covered 4861, 4865, 4868, 4869, 4870, 4871, 4878, 4879 Population 282,519 (2001 Census) Area Covered The Division covers an area of 1791 square kilometres stretching from Babinda in the south to Buchan's Point in the north, and west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. CEO Bernie Triggs Chair Dr Nichola Davis Physical Address: 251 Lake Street CAIRNS QLD 4870 Australia Postal Address: PO Box 7847 CAIRNS QLD 4870 Australia Email: gpcairns@gpcairns.org.au Phone: 07 4052 1699 Fax: 07 4052 1301 Website: http://www.gpcairns.org.au

The primary role and function of General Practice Cairns is to support GPs in providing quality care to the greater Cairns community. The Division acts as a point of liaison between GPs, government and other health providers. Today the Division is placing an increased emphasis on support to whole of general practice across a range of areas, including accreditation, immunisation, professional development, business support, promotion of General practice through local media and workforce investigations and initiatives.

Major Achievements:

• Worked with Queensland Health to establish the Northern Queensland General Practice Partnership (NQGPP), a forum to address issues at the state health/GP interface. NQGPP has facilitated creation of a General Practice Liaison Officer position to address such issues within the Cairns Base Hospital.
• Supported the whole of general practice in key areas including accreditation, immunisation, IM/IT as well as specific practice nurse and practice manager support activities.
• Maintained a strong continuing professional development program with a whole of practice approach; GPs, practice nurses and practice managers, with this approach to be further developed for the 2005 General Practice Cairns Conference - Healthy Kids and the GP Team.
• Indigenous health care has been addressed through the More Allied Health Services (MAHS) program with support provided to Yarrabah General Practice, initially through a practice nurse and now through an Aboriginal health worker.
• Also through MAHS General Practice Cairns has provided allied health services to our GPs servicing RRMA 4 areas.
• Commenced a Quality Use of Medicines Project and an Aged Care Panel,
• Maintained health promotion for Cairns community via regular and ongoing coverage in the regional media.
• Achieved 85% financial membership of GPs.
• Engaged local GPs through a Summit, which brought together representatives of AMA, RACGP and Divisions to discuss key issues.
• Consolidated strategic partnerships with commercial entities that provide support through sponsorship.

Challenges for the Future:

• The Division is now undertaking a comprehensive whole of practice and community needs assessment process which will inform the Division?s Strategic and Annual Plans and activities.
• General Practice Cairns will work to lead collaboration and integration with other primary health care providers
• Our organisational structure will be reviewed to identify the structure that will best serve us.
• An ongoing challenge is to continue to engage general practice in Cairns, to develop our membership and encourage active participation by our members to lead general practice into a future offering the best possible outcomes to GPs, practice nurses, managers and staff and the community we serve.

Page Updated: December 2004

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