Nukal Murra Alliance

Nukal Murra Alliance (NMA) members work collaboratively with other funded agencies to support the re-direction of funds to First Nations Health programs through the Nukal Murra Health Support Services to improve the health, social and emotional wellbeing of our communities across the Western Queensland region.

The NMA partners continued to hold regular meetings to monitor the progress of the NMA structure, review new health policies and funding models, and identify strategic-level opportunities for improvement.

1,469 Occasions of Service were provided to 669 clients through the Integrated Team Care (ITC) program with clients accessing 922 services for Medical aids, Transport, Accommodation and Allied and Specialist Services.

The top 3 Specialty Supplementary Services included Cardiac, Sleep and Neurology while Optometry and Podiatry were most common for Allied Health Services. Examples of Medical Aids provided include CPAP, Pharmacy equipment, Wound dressings, Nebulisers, Home O2, Vaporisers, BGL, BP Machines, Personal alarms, Incontinence aids, Scales and more. Other services may include transport, client support administration and other approved services included in the program guidelines.

Nukal Murra Alliance Achievements:

• Novel co-commissioning model successfully leverages AICCHS infrastructure, relationships, and cultural collateral to address system and structural issues that contribute to health inequities;
• Overall Nukal Murra Health Support Services are making a positive contribution to the increase in uptake of MBS items;
• For clients with at least one chronic condition, their GPs identified that appropriate referral through Nukal Murra Health Support Services reduces the need for hospitalisation at least 50 per cent of the time, increasing to 100 per cent for clients with multiple chronic conditions;

The Nukal Murra Alliance provides a strong platform to support other developments in primary health care within the Western Queensland region both for the AICHHS and clients where it has increased brand awareness and trust.

Nukal Murra Health Support Services provide clients with access to affordable medicines and linkages to community services.

Making Tracks Together

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equity Framework

Over the past two years WQPHN has been heavily involved in the co-design and planning of the three Hospital and Health Services (Central West, South West and North West) Health Equity Plans across our region.

The amendments to the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 and the Hospital and Health Boards Regulation 2012 required Hospital and Health Services to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations to design, deliver and monitor health care delivery in Queensland.

WQPHN is a key signatory to each of the three Hospital and Health Services Health Equity Plans.

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The Strategies focus on six priority areas:

• Improve First Nations health and well-being outcomes;
• Actively eliminate racial discrimination and institutional racism;
• Increase access to better health services;
• Deliver sustainable, culturally safe, and responsive health care services;
• Influence the social, cultural, and economic determinants of health;
• Work with First Nations people, communities, and organisations to design, deliver, monitor, and review health services.

The Strategy will mark the start of effective changes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services.

Over the next three years, the strategy will focus on embedding the voices of the regions' First Nations people into the design, development and delivery of health services, to ensure the creation of environments and services that First Nations people feel safe and comfortable to access.

Goondir Virtual Health Services (VHS)

As an original and innovative service, Goondir is continually working towards improving the service output, measures, governance and overall outcomes for all VHS clients and providers.

The past 12 months has seen staff from Goondir providing staff from the Nukal Murra Alliance Member Organisations training on the usage of VHS devices around the functionality, troubleshooting basic technical issues, recording and transmitting readings and client case management providing advice, guidance and document usage.

Ongoing research and evaluation activity and partnerships to complement Goondir’s VHS Service through improvement and monitoring efforts will include but not limited to:

• Predictive AI Modelling for Goondir’s Virtual Health Service System;
• Three stage evaluation of the Virtual Health Services analysing client and clinician perceptions, cost-effectiveness and client outcomes;
• PhD Project - Uncovering the facilitating influence of shared technology use on working alliance in Type-2 diabetes management with First Nations patients and health care professionals.