First Nations Health

We're committed to improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region.

Through working with community, for community, we aim to close the gap in life expectancy, improve the mortality rates for children, and improve access to culturally appropriate and high-quality healthcare.

Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)

IUIH is a Community Controlled Health Service (CCHS) that leads the planning, development and delivery of health, family wellbeing and social support services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Southeast Queensland.

IUIH offers a large variety of services including but not limited to:

• Birthing, paediatric and family wellbeing
• Heart and lung rehab
• Hospital in the home
• Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis
• Allied health
• Integrated team care coordination
• Aged care and home support
• Palliative and end-of-life care

Deadly Choices is IUIH’s flagship preventative health program.  Deadly Choices aims to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to complete an annual health check and access the suite of services provided by their local CCHS clinic.

Open 365 days a year, from 7am to 7pm, Mob Link can provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in South East Queensland with access to same day care or support to connect to a variety of health and social services.

Closing the gap PBS co-payment

The closing the gap (CTG) PBS co-payment reduces the cost of PBS medicines. Eligible patients can get their medicine at the concession price. Or, if they have a concession or health care card, their medicine is free.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescribers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners can register a patient for CTG through Health Professional Online Services (HPOS). Patients participating in the CTG PBS co-payment only need to be registered once. They don’t need to register again if they move to a different health clinic.

715 annual health check and vaccination

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can get a health check once a year, as well as follow-up care if needed. This health check is important. It can help identify patients at risk of illnesses or chronic conditions The RACGP has developed health check templates to compliment the Australian Government health check resource collection.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have higher infection rates of some vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) than non-Indigenous persons. For this reason, extra vaccines are available free through the National Immunisation Program or they are offered at different age points. The Queensland Government provides vaccine providers with current vaccine schedule information for First Nations people on their website.

General practices are encouraged to bulk bill annual 715 health checks. Further information can be found on the MBS Online website.

Practice Incentive Program - Indigenous Health Incentive

The Practice Incentives Program (PIP) – Indigenous Health Incentive (PIP IHI) provides payments to health services to provide better care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with a chronic disease. From 1 January 2025, the following changes will occur: 

• Finalisation of the gradual shift to a back-ended payment structure. With the shift to lifetime registration, there is no longer a registration payment. Now most of the payment to practices will be provided after a threshold level of care has been provided. 

Support and training

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health CQI Toolkit includes information and resources to support general practices to better understand the Indigenous Health Incentive (IHI), Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmaceutical Benefit scheme and deliver quality 715 Health Checks to support improving patient health and to deliver a culturally safe experience for the patient.

For support and guidance on implementing health assessments in your practice, contact our quality improvement and development engagement officers via the Practice Support email and phone line.

Services Australia provides indigenous health services education resources for healthcare professionals and practices.

Participate in cultural awareness training.