Name North & West Qld Primary Health Care Division Number 416 Classification Rural Number of Member GPs 68 State Queensland Year Established 1993 Number of Member Practices 32 Postcodes Covered 4472, 4478, 4481, 4482, 4712, 4724, 4725, 4726, 4727, 4730, 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735, 4736, 4804, 4805, 4806, 4807, 4808, 4816, 4820, 4821, 4822, 4823, 4824, 4825, 4828, 4830, 4849 Population 115,507 (2001 Census) CEO Mr Kelly McTaggart Chair Dr Margaret Culpan Physical Address: Unit 5 106 Darymple Service Road CURRAJONG QLD 4812 Australia Postal Address: Po Box 8056 GARBUTT BC QLD 4814 Australia Email: admin@nwqphc.com.au Phone: 07 4725 8868 Fax: 07 4725 5122 Website: http://www.nwqphc.com.au Additional Addresses PHYSICAL Longreach Office 116 Eagle Street LONGREACH QLD 4812 Australia Mt Isa Office 53 Enid Street MT ISA QLD 4825 Australia POSTAL Longreach Office PO Box 256 LONGREACH QLD 4730 Australia Mt Isa Office PO Box 1127 MT ISA QLD 4825 Australia FAX Longreach Office 07 4658 3630 Mt Isa Office 07 4743 4858 PHONE Longreach Office 07 4658 3622 Mt Isa Office 07 4749 4615

The Northern Queensland Rural Division of General Practice (NQRDGP) is responsible for the GPs of the rural towns to the north, south, and west of Townsville. It is large in area, but small in population. The Division has 70 General Practitioners, Medical Superintendents and Doctors spread over a section of Queensland from Cardwell to Bowen on the coast, inland to Mt Isa on the Western border and up to Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is the spread of our members over such a huge area that has created many of the challenges that the Division faces. The Division communicates with the community and other health providers on an ongoing basis through regular meetings, consultations and the Divisional newsletter.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

• Four GP National Innovative Funding Projects awarded in last 12 months.
• One of two rural Divisions to be included as pilot OBF Divisions.
• One of the first Divisions to include on the Board consumers with full voting rights.
• Rural and Remote Women's Health Service developed in the Division, then transferred to the Royal Flying Doctor Service for national operation.
• Development of primary care model for cardiac rehabilitation, that has been adopted nationally by other Divisions.
• Ninety-five percent of GPs computerised in last 18 months.
• Placement and supervision of successful Masters of Applied Epidemiology student in collaboration with NCEPH, ANU.
• Development and VTEC accreditation of indigenous health worker training module in CVD secondary prevention.
• Two publications on mental health case conferencing in national journals.
• Consultancies to smaller rural Divisions in strategic and financial planning, and IM/IT.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

• In partnership with key rural organisations, develop and deliver strategies to ensure the recruitment and retention of a skilled rural General Practice workforce to meet the needs of rural Northern Queensland communities.
• In partnership with local health service providers, develop the capacity of the public and private primary care sectors to deliver integrated evidence-based care to people with chronic illness.
• To develop the capacity of general practice to participate in population health and preventive medicine interventions, to improve the health status of the local communities and those from disadvantaged groups.
• To ensure the development of partnerships with other health care providers to improve the delivery of primary health care services in indigenous communities.
• To support and assist general practices in IM/IT and business development, to function effectively and efficiently in a changing environment.
• To prepare the Division to meet the future challenges to general practice by continually scanning the local and wider environment to identify emergent issues.
• To position the Division to be a key stakeholder in the planning and delivery of health services.
• To achieve a high level of rigour in the design, implementation and evaluation of Divisional programs and activity.
• To develop management systems to ensure efficient and effective use of human and other resources to meet agreed outcomes.