Joint Regional Needs Assessment
The Joint Regional Needs Assessment (JRNA) provides a shared understanding of the key health priorities across northern Queensland.
Great health means communities that thrive – where chronic disease is prevented or well managed, mental wellbeing is supported, care is accessible no matter where you live, and every person receives culturally safe, coordinated services that respect their identity.
And it takes all parts of the health system working closely together – listening to people, understanding their unique needs, and working as a collective. People living in northern Queensland deserve health care that’s connected, culturally safe, and close to home.
To make that possible, Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has partnered with the four Hospital and Health Services in our region – Torres and Cape, Cairns and Hinterland, Townsville, and Mackay – to understand in more depth what our communities need most. By combining local insight, lived experience, and health data, we’ve created a shared picture of our region’s unique needs and where we need to focus next.
Key themes identified across the region include:
- access
- child and maternal health
- chronic conditions
- equity
- First Nations health
- healthy living
- mental health and wellbeing
- older persons health
- preventative health
- workforce.
The JRNA is our foundation for the next three years, and lays the groundwork for better planning, smarter investment, and stronger partnerships that put people first.
Together, we will build a more connected, more equitable health system for all northern Queenslanders.
Engagements snapshot
The infographic shown outlines the engagement that occurred during 2024 across the NQPHN region.
JRNA process
At a very high level, the JRNA process involves the following:
- Systematic identification of health and service needs across our region.
- Examination of the prevalent health needs of our region looking at demographics, disease prevalence, healthcare utilisation, and social determinants of health.
- Analysis of broader regional, state, and national data to contextualise our regions health needs. This helps us find trends and disparities in our region.
- Identification of service gaps where there is unmet need for specific population groups or insufficient access to healthcare services.
- Consultations with key stakeholders including clinicians and community members to gather diverse perspectives and insights.
- Validation and triangulation of findings helps us ensure the information we have is accurate and reliable, reducing the risk of bias or misinterpretation.
- Prioritisation using a standardised methodology helps us determine severity of need and potential impact of interventions. This will ensure we are prioritising health and service needs that will have the greatest health outcomes for our community.
JRNA themes
NQPHN has identified ten key overarching themes under which service and health needs have been identified. These themes can be found below.
We would like to thank all the stakeholders who participated and contributed to the rich discussions to understand our region’s health needs.
If you have any questions, please email the NQPHN Data and Intelligence Team at data.intelligence@nqphn.com.au
The JRNA is a collaboration between
