Group members are comprised of health service users, consumers, carers, and community members, and act as a critical friend to NQPHN by bringing community perspective to advise the planning of activities and priorities. The Group's advice is aligned with NQPHN’s Health Needs Assessment and local and Commonwealth priorities.

The aim of the Group is to enable health system improvement and reform in local regions and for identified community groups. They ensure that community ideas drive improvements in person-centred care to deliver better health outcomes that are locally-relevant and aligned to local care experiences and expectations.

The Group also guides and advises NQPHN to improve its social impact, cultural security, and patient safety of programs it commissions throughout the region.

As champions of change, members maximise and leverage their own community networks to improve health outcomes through coordinated care.

The Community Advisory Group plays a key role in helping to guide NQPHN in ensuring activities are connected to and supported by the communities it serves.

Your local HealthPathways also offers resources for use: Northern Queensland PHN HealthPathways

• National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce Clinical Flowcharts
• Managing COVID-19 in the workplace (Queensland Health)
• COVID-19 resources (RACGP)
• COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance
• Therapeutic Goods Administration

Aged care

• Factsheet – Planning checklist for vaccinations in Aged Care homes

Disability

• Factsheet - Vaccine advice for disability service providers

• I have COVID-19 (Queensland Health)
• Your recovery from COVID-19 (Queensland Health)
• About the COVID-19 pandemic (Department of Health)
• First steps if you have COVID-19 (Queensland Government)
• Printable resources for public (Australian Department of Health)
• COVID-19 and cancer (Cancer Australia)

Vaccine recommendation

• Eligibility checker: COVID-19 booster eligibility checker

Aged care

• Factsheet – Vaccine info for residents in Aged Care homes

Disability

• Factsheet – Vaccine booster advice for people with a disability
• Easy read – Vaccine booster advice for people with a disability

• Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, Queensland Health and the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health: Make the Choice vaccination campaign 

• Australian Government Department of Health: Guidance on COVID-19 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations

• Australian Government National Indigenous Australians Agency – Online training and toolkit for health professionals 

• Queensland Government (Queensland Health) – COVID-19 Palliative Care Resources Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 

• National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) resources 

• NAATSIHWP COVID-19 resource toolkit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals 

• Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet COVID-19 resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals 

• Aboriginal Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) 

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units

Information for multicultural communities  

Queensland Health is working with key stakeholders across the state to ensure people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds have access to current, culturally appropriate and translated COVID-19 information.

Find resources online here. 

Translated resources 

Queensland Health has developed Queensland-specific translated resources for COVID-19 information in 31 languages. 

Refugee Health Network Queensland has also compiled translated resources from a variety of sources. 

Centacare FNQ is working on a three-part 'Living with COVID’ video series. The first 'In Your Language' series explains what to do if you get COVID-19 symptoms in 10 local languages. You can view the messages on the Centacare Far North Queensland YouTube channel. 

Interpreting services 

Working with qualified interpreters is essential to ensuring you are able to communicate effectively with your patients and are protected from professional risk. 

Private medical practitioners, pharmacies and other organisations can access the Free Interpreting Service delivered through TIS National to provide services to anyone in Australia who is eligible for Medicare. More information is available here: 

• Private medical practitioners and pharmacies information. 

Practice support staff and nurses working with a private medical practitioner registered with TIS National can also access the service using the same client code. 

The service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. To access this free service, please complete the client registration form. For more information, contact the TIS National Language Policy Liaison team on tis.lpl@border.gov.au or 1300 575 847. 

The RACGP has also released a guide for GPs about telephone consultations with patients requiring an interpreter. 

Head to Health

Prioritising your mental health is important.

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, it’s available 24/7.

Find resources and helplines at Head to Health.