PHNs have been established by the federal government with the key objectives of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency 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.

Our Vision

With a strong focus on primary and integrated health care, we believe that, by bringing the Darling Downs and West Moreton health community together we can significantly improve the health outcomes of our community. We are better when we achieve things together.

Our Purpose

The purpose of the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN is to support primary health professions through improvement activity, which will deliver better health outcomes for the Darling Downs and West Moreton community. We seek to ensure that people in our region enjoy optimal health and wellbeing through accessible, responsive, integrated and high quality primary health system.

We work with GPs, allied and mental health professionals, practice nurses, practice managers, hospital and health services, ACCHHOs, community service providers, Elders and community members to improve frontline service delivery by working to integrate the primary, community and secondary sectors for the benefit of patients.

The Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN actively engages through local level structures to identify and respond to local health priorities, establish care opportunities and monitor the quality and performance of services.

Our Critical Success Factor

To improve the delivery of local primary health care services the Commonwealth has set PHNs seven priority areas for targeted work including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• Aged care
• Mental health
• Alcohol and other drugs
• Digital health
• Health workforce
• Population health, including cancer screening, immunisation and chronic disease

The Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN understands that the key to progressing and enhancing outcomes will be our ability to work collaboratively, and in genuine partnership with other, likeminded organisations and key stakeholders, to deliver better health outcomes. Therefore, we will focus on working with general practice, community organisations, hospital & health services and allied health professionals to:

• Improve access to care and rates of mental health treatment;
• Increase childhood immunisation rates;
• Increase cancer screening rates;
• Reduce potentially avoidable hospital admissions by supporting primary care providers and professionals;
• Improve access to care and reduce rates of chronic and complex conditions;
• Improve access to culturally appropriate primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
• Improve understand and usage of digital health records;
• Collaborate with other regional stakeholders, to commission services to improve patient and community health outcomes.