Brisbane North PHN supports clinicians and communities in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, Moreton Bay Regional Council and parts of Somerset Regional Council. It covers approximately 4,100 km2 of urban, regional and rural areas, with a population of over 900,000. The Federal Government announced the establishment of 31 Primary Health Networks to replace the national network of Medicare Locals in 2015. The Government selected successful PHNs through an open and competitive process, including the Brisbane North PHN. The key objectives of the Brisbane North PHN are:
• increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes; and
• improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. The PHN will achieve these outcomes by:
• understanding the health care needs of our community through analysis and planning, helping to identify and address service gaps;
• providing practice support services so that GPs are better placed to provide care to patients, keeping them healthy and out of hospital;
• supporting general practices in attaining the highest standards in safety;
• assisting general practices in understanding and making meaningful use of eHealth systems;
• working with other funders to purchase or commission health services for local groups most in need, including patients with complex chronic conditions or mental illness. The PHN supports GPs and other health professionals, and delivers a range of programs. Supporting health care professionals with:
• localised clinical pathways
• electronic referrals
• accreditation and quality standards
• chronic disease management and care coordination
• eHealth records and secure messaging. Managing healthcare and support programs for people in the community including:
• Commonwealth Home Support Program
• Partners in Recovery
• Brisbane MIND, Brisbane MIND Suicide Prevention Program, Brisbane MIND4KiDS
• Team Care Coordination
• Closing the Gap programs. Brisbane North PHN acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia and we pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians on whose land we walk, we work and we live.
