- More than 1,600 patients across the far north have been treated by a ‘one-stop shop’ for complex healthcare and support this year.
- The Miles Government opened the new Care Coordination Service Centre in Cairns in November 2023.
- Since then, patients from the Torres Strait, all the way south to Tully, have had access to more coordinated and enhanced care.
Thanks to the Miles Government’s new Care Coordination Service Centre (CCSC) in Cairns, communities in the far north have improved access and support to free, high quality healthcare closer to home.
The centre, the first of its kind in Queensland, supports patients with complex care needs to navigate their way through the health system.
It’s already made an incredible difference to Lockhart River resident Patrick Butcher Jnr, who says it’s much easier to access the complex healthcare he needs thanks to support from the CCSC.
A range of co-located patient services such as travel, finance, referral systems, and digital information services are all available on-site to help streamline patients’ complex care journeys.
Importantly, it also acts as a single point of contact for patients who would otherwise need to discuss their complex care with multiple healthcare workers from different disciplines.
The centre also has a telehealth training room and an emergency response room where teams can come together to manage any health emergencies in the Far North Queensland.
Officially opened last November, it is a joint project between the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC).
The centre has been receiving referrals from clinicians across the far north, finding the service useful for both them and their patients.
