Northern Queensland PHN

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.

21/05/2026

🧒 NQPHN is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the Early Years Conference 2026, being held today and tomorrow at the Cairns Convention Centre.

We are incredibly proud to support an event that aligns so closely with our recognition that the first 2,000 days are absolutely vital for shaping a child’s lifelong health and wellbeing.

By connecting, funding, and supporting local primary health care, we work to ensure every northern Queenslander can access the care they need to thrive.

💡 Our NQ Health Priorities Lead - Health Services Commissioning Gil is speaking on "Strengthening Early Years Outcomes Through Integrated Regional Collaboration: The Far North Early Childhood Network Model".

🔗 Learn more about our maternal and child health work here https://nqphn.com.au/community-programs/population-health/maternal-and-child-health/

20/05/2026

Quality Quest ... here's what practices can tap into now 🙌

Looking to make quality improvement simpler and more practical for your team? We’ve got you covered.

Here’s what’s available now:

✅ A new Practice Data Dashboard with easy-to-understand insights.
✅ The Quality Quest Hub - tools, templates and resources all in one place.
✅ Hands-on QI support aligned with PIP QI and accreditation.

It’s all about helping you see your data, focus your team and turn ideas into action - without adding extra workload.

👉 Jump into the Quality Quest Hub or chat with your Primary Care Engagement team to get started.

https://nqphn.com.au/health-provider-hub/qi-hub/

NQPHN improves healthcare access and outcomes across Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Cape, and Torres Strait by supporting providers, commissioning services, and connecting care.

18/05/2026

That’s a wrap on 💛🩵🧡

Our Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care team had a busy and meaningful week. From releasing the NQPHN Palliative Care Health Needs Assessment, to hosting morning teas across our Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay offices, the team explored this year’s theme: “Getting to the heart of it. Big questions. Real answers.”

We also joined the SPaRTa (Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service) Palliative Care Study Day in Townsville, sharing how the Needs Assessment will guide our work over the next three years – including community events like Your Care, Your Choices in Tully.

While the week has come to an end, the conversations continue as we work towards the right care, at the right time, in the right place for northern Queenslanders.