Northern Queensland PHN

16/06/2026

❤️Using data to drive better heart health outcomes❤️PHASES is supporting general practices to harness the power of data—using tools like Primary Sense to identify patients at risk and deliver targeted cardiovascular care.

By combining tools like Primary Sense with hands-on support, PHASES helps practices translate insights into action, strengthening prevention and improving outcomes by:
➡️ Identifying at-risk patients earlier
➡️ Strengthening cardiovascular care
➡️ Delivering more targeted, proactive interventions

NQPHN have recently supported the Girudala Chronic Care Health team to transition to PHASES, supporting them to enhance their use of digital tools and data dashboards.

Interested in how PHASES could support your practice? Contact our team for more information 👉 https://forms.office.com/r/MTiM7rQswZ

15/06/2026

When people are navigating withdrawal, homelessness, and complex health conditions, consistent care can be life-changing. At Lives Lived Well in Cairns, Registered Nurse Suresh Nambooriyoth Meethal is helping make that possible. 🫶🏽

Through Lives Lived Well’s nurse-led Withdrawal Support and Clinical Care Coordination program – supported by Northern Queensland PHN – Suresh provides compassionate, wrap-around care that meets people where they are and walks alongside them toward stability and recovery.

In his role, Suresh supports people navigating complex physical health issues, unstable housing and long-term substance use.

For Suresh, the work is about building trust and creating a safe space for people who may have had difficult experiences engaging with services in the past.

Read his story 👇🏽

When people are navigating withdrawal, homelessness and complex health conditions, consistent care can be life-changing. At Lives Lived Well in Cairns, Registered Nurse Suresh Nambooriyoth Meethal is helping make that possible.

11/06/2026

Good Life, Good Death Expo – Mackay | Saturday 27 June 📢

NQPHN is proud to support Palliative Care Queensland Inc. in bringing the Good Life, Good Death Expo to Mackay!

Join this free, supportive day designed to create space for open, honest conversations about life, loss and what matters most. Whether you’re seeking information, connection, or simply a place to listen and learn, this event brings together compassionate support, practical resources, and local services in a welcoming environment.

A dedicated professional learning stream will also be available for palliative care practitioners looking to build and strengthen their knowledge and skills.

📍 Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre
📅 Saturday 27 June
🎟 FREE Community Event

Open to community members, carers, families, health workers, and service providers - find out more and register now.

Palliative Care Queensland warmly invites you to attend the Good Life, Good Death Expo, taking place this June in Mackay.

03/06/2026

👵NQPHN partners with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia to expand medication management pilot project for older people.👴

Older residents across Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands can now access a pharmacist directly within their general practice, as the Older Persons Medication Management Pilot Project expands in northern Queensland.

Six pharmacists have joined seven general practices across the region as part of the project, delivered through a partnership between Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

Read more 👇🏽

NQPHN partners with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia to expand medication management pilot project for older people

02/06/2026

For one Cairns medical family, caring for the community isn’t just a profession – it’s a legacy spanning generations. 🫶🏽

That legacy is now playing out in real time, with Dr Matthew Kresevic joining his father, Dr Anthony Kresevic, at Edmonton Family Medical Centre – bringing a father–son partnership to a practice that has supported local families for decades.

For Dr Anthony, a highly respected general practitioner with more than 30 years of service in the Cairns region, welcoming his son into the practice is a proud and meaningful milestone.

Read their story 👇🏽

For one Cairns medical family, caring for the community isn’t just a profession – it’s a legacy spanning generations.

01/06/2026

🚑🩺 Where do you go when you need care: GP, urgent care, or emergency department? Knowing the difference between GP, urgent care, and emergency care helps you get the right care, at the right place, at the right time.

👉 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐏 (𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞)
Your first stop for most health needs (except emergencies).
✔️ Health needs that can wait to be seen
✔️ Check-ups, screenings, immunisations
✔️ Ongoing or chronic conditions
✔️ Mental health concerns
✔️ Earaches, coughs, colds, fevers, and diarrhoea

👉 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 (open 7 days, 8am – 10pm)
For health issues that are urgent but not life-threatening and can’t wait for a GP visit
✔️ Minor infections
✔️ Minor fractures, sprains, and sports injuries
✔️ Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
✔️ Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
✔️ Minor cuts, insect bites, and rashes
✔️ Minor eye and ear problems
✔️ Respiratory illness
✔️ Gastroenteritis
✔️ Mild burns

🚨 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
For life-threatening conditions, call 000 or go to the emergency department immediately.
✔️ Chest pain or suspected heart attack
✔️ Stroke symptoms (sudden weakness, numbness, or slurred speech)
✔️ Severe bleeding, breathing difficulties, major accidents
✔️ Serious head injuries or loss of consciousness
✔️ Su***de attempt or severe mental health crisis

⚠️ 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: Do not visit an Urgent Care Clinic if you are experiencing any symptoms that should be treated by emergency department care ⚠️
GP = Routine health care
Urgent Care Clinic = Urgent, non-life-threatening
Emergency Department = Life-threatening emergencies

🔗 Link in bio for more Medicare UCC info

The Australian Government has invested in 135+ Medicare Urgent Care Clinics nationally, to deliver a new model of care to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments (EDs).

29/05/2026

As we mark National Reconciliation Week, our organisation has been reflecting on this year’s theme and what it means in how we show up every day. "All In" is a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to the journey of reconciliation. ❤️💛🖤💙💚🤍

At NQPHN, we are answering that call through meaningful, long term action. Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and First Nations Impact Strategy provide the foundation for this work, outlining our strong commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples across northern Queensland.

We are moving forward by being All In through:
➡️ Our First Nations Impact Strategy – recently launched to ensure our work delivers tangible, positive health outcomes
➡️ Cultural leadership – guided by our RAP Working Group and First Nations Yarning Group to ensure community voices are at the centre of our decisions
➡️ Community investment – supporting a range of First Nations initiatives across our region

This National Reconciliation Week, we celebrate the history, resilience, and future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Reconciliation takes all of us. Are you All In? 🤝

22/05/2026

We welcome the Federal Government’s recent announcement confirming continued investment in Medicare Urgent Care Clinics – a service making a real difference for communities across northern Queensland. 💚💛

These clinics give people faster access to care closer to home, while helping ease pressure on local hospital emergency departments.

With four clinics in our region – Cairns South, Cairns North, Townsville, and Mackay – seeing strong demand, it’s clear how important this service is to local communities.

It’s a great example of the health system working together to better meet community needs – and NQPHN is proud to support this work alongside our partners.

Thank you to the Cairns Urgent Care Clinic team for hosting us this morning ☺️

22/05/2026

Early detection saves lives – and dermoscopy is an essential tool in identifying skin cancer earlier and more accurately.

Northern Queensland PHN, in partnership with CheckUP Australia, are offering fully-funded* training to help clinicians build confidence in skin checks and clinical decision-making.

The DermEX Dermoscopy Webinar Series is designed to take you from the fundamentals through to real-world application – making dermoscopy practical, intuitive, and immediately useful in practice.

✅ 15 CPD hours (ACCRM accredited)
✅ Training valued at $2,250
✅ Live sessions + recordings available
✅ *Open to all AHPRA-registered health professionals, with bursaries available only for clinicians in the Cairns and Hinterland and Torres and Cape HHS regions

⚠️Bursaries are limited – 50 spaces available for those in the regions mentioned above

This program will help you:
➡️ Build diagnostic confidence
➡️ Identify key skin cancer features
➡️ Improve clinical assessment of common lesions

👉 Apply and learn more: www.nqphn.com.au/news/apply-now-fully-funded-dermoscopy-training

21/05/2026

For people living in small rural communities, navigating the health system can sometimes feel overwhelming 😰

Access to services is often limited and knowing where to start can be difficult – especially for people managing chronic conditions.

But Middlemount Medical Centre's dedicated chronic disease coordination program is delivering remarkable results for rural patients – with service uptake rising by as much as 590 per cent since it launched 📈

At the centre of this success is the practice’s Chronic Disease Care Coordinator.

Read how they got such great outcomes ➡️

Middlemount Medical Centre's dedicated chronic disease coordination program is delivering remarkable results for rural patients – with service uptake rising by as much as 590 per cent since it launched in July 2025.