Medi-Nav Orientation Resource v6, 2024

5.1 Rural and Remote Health in Queensland All Queenslanders deserve equitable access to healthcare, no matter where they live. Queensland Health has a number of measures in place to support and give a voice to staff and patients living in rural and remote communities. The Office of Rural and Remote Health (ORRH) provides a strong voice in the development of statewide policy, strategy and planning, and to foster strong and more resilient healthcare in Queensland’s rural and remote communities. With its main office established in Townsville, the ORRH also has staff in Brisbane, Cairns, and Cunnamulla. ORRH provides a centralised and coordinated hub to respond to system-wide healthcare challenges with the Strategy and Governance Unit, as well as providing practical support to smaller health services and rural and remote facilities through the Clinical Support Unit. ORRH projects are guided by the Rural and Remote Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2027. Additionally, the Queensland Rural and Remote Clinical Network (one of a number of statewide clinical networks) provides clinical leadership, expertise and advice to Queensland Health with the aim of improving health outcomes and providing a better consumer experience for rural Queenslanders. Network members collaborate across Queensland to develop and implement evidence-based practice in a coordinated way to achieve high-quality healthcare. Further information on the ORRH, including current projects and available resources can be found on their QHEPS page https://qheps.health.qld.gov.au/rural-remote-health (accessible on Queensland Health computers only) . Information on the QRRCN can be found here https://clinicalexcellence.qld.gov.au/ priority-areas/clinician-engagement/queensland-clinical-networks/rural-and-remote 5.2 Rural and remote medical practitioner classifications 5.2.1 Medical Superintendents with Private Practice and Medical Officers with Private Practice Medical Superintendents with Private Practice (MSPP) and Medical Officers with Private Practice (MOPP) are senior medical officers employed by Queensland Health to work in smaller rural hospitals. They provide vital services to the hospital as well as private general practice services in rural and remote towns across the state. Private practice arrangements for MSPP / MOPP are negotiated and agreed in writing at the local Hospital and Health Service level. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, people living in rural areas tend to have shorter lives, higher levels of illness and disease risk factors than those in major cities. It is also true that, on average, people living in rural Australia do not always have the same opportunities for good health as those living in major cities. In contrast, rural Australians generally have higher levels of social cohesiveness, for example, higher rates of participation in volunteer work and feelings of safety in their community. Visit the AIHW website for more reports and statistics on rural health in Australia: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/population-groups/rural-remote-australians/overview