Our history

In 1998 the health system was fragmented with hospitals, GPs and primary health care services looking for ways to better work together. In this environment, the Queensland Divisions of General Practice (QDGP) was formed and completes its first official year as an incorporated body aimed at providing support and advocacy for Queensland’s 20 Divisions of General Practice at state and national levels. 1998 – The Queensland Divisions of General Practice (QDGP) completes its first official year as an incorporated body.

Highlights of this fledgling year include the development of a number of MOUs between Queensland Health Districts and their respective Divisions to support integrated primary healthcare models and the launch of programs to address chronic disease, mental health, immunisation, preventative health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. By 2002 QDGP is in its fourth year of operation. Networks are growing, and programs are building stronger connections between Queensland Divisions and key players in the health sector. Following initial GP and community consultations in Moranbah, Charters Towers, Mt Isa and the Tablelands, QDGP submits a costed plan for proposed specialist outreach services. This results in Commonwealth funding for services to 23 rural locations in specialties including ophthalmology, dermatology, cardiology and ENT to be delivered through the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP). In 2004 QDGP has grown and moves office to a new CBD location which provides more space and makes it easier to have regular contact with key stakeholders.

MSOAP is well underway, delivered in collaboration with the four rural Divisions of General Practice. The program increases specialist services to disadvantaged communities throughout Queensland and clocks up more than 4000 patient consultations. Other successful MSOAP initiatives include Tele-Derm, a collaboration between QDGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, which provides GPs with free Internet access to a dermatologist.

Policy development and influencing Government policy has been a major focus for QDGP, yielding results such as the development of a Queensland Divisions Network Position Statement regarding the role of General Practice within the primary healthcare system. With health reform around the corner there are significant opportunities to forge new and meaningful partnerships with Queensland Health and deliver the best health services to Queenslanders.

Partnerships and collaboration continue to be a focus for QDGP in 2006, and in February that year QDGP and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) hold a joint Board meeting to identify priority areas for collaboration.

On 1 July 2007 Queensland Divisions of General Practice officially becomes General Practice Queensland (GPQ). The journey to a new company structure does not change the mission and values of the organisation and programs and collaborations continue to deliver results.

The beginning of the year marks the start of GPQ’s involvement in the Connecting Health Care in Communities (CHIC) initiative. Through this initiative, twenty partnership councils are established to enhance service coordination through shared planning and agreed roles across traditional boundaries. The planning priorities address chronic and complex care, integrated health promotion and illness prevention, early childhood health, community mental health and drug and alcohol services. Towards the end of the year GPQ and Griffith University establish a partnership to form a Collaborative Research Hub. The key focus is to increase the relevance and use of health service research to inform decision making – bridging the gap between research and practice.

Throughout 2008, GPQ continues to provide ongoing leadership and support for members as Health Reform generates excitement about new opportunities as well as uncertainty with the outcome of change. At a national level, key events included the election of a new Government, the formation of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, the Prevention Taskforce, the Primary Health Care Strategy, the Australian 2020 summit, the regeneration of Health Care Agreements, the CoAG Health and Ageing Working Group, the GP Super Clinics Initiative and numerous policy papers from policy institutes and academic bodies. Focus areas for GPQ programs and initiatives at this time include eHealth solutions, improving access to outpatient services, aged care access and immunisation.

GPQ, together with the Divisions, continues to focus on increasing access to appropriate, affordable and timely primary healthcare that is equitably distributed across Queensland. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health remains a key focus and GPQ provides high level liaison and planning in relation to the COAG Closing the Gap initiative. Efforts to improve the physical health of people with a severe mental illness also receives a boost as the Activate Mind and Body project, a joint initiative between GPQ and Queensland Health, receives funding to develop resources for primary healthcare.

In late 2009, GPQ hosts a series of Primary Health Care Roundtables designed to connect organisations and share information relating to the national health reform agenda. It was through coming together regularly that organisations recognised the importance of partnership and the discussions that were taking place. As a result, participants agreed to formalise the Queensland Primary Health Care Network (QPHCN) which is still held quarterly by CheckUP.

During 2010, GPQ continues to provide statewide support for Closing the Gap initiatives. The formation of a statewide Closing the Gap Steering Committee to guide implementation of all GPQ Closing the Gap Programs is a key activity.

In July 2010, a Closing the Gap collaborative, which started as a partnership between QAIHC and GPQ, brings together 21 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services with medical clinics, 13 Aboriginal Medical Services and 17 general practices from seven divisions in areas with high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The partnership results in linkages between Closing the Gap programs across Queensland and the sharing of valuable resources.

The beginning of 2011 saw major flooding throughout much of South East Queensland and the devastation of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi to the state’s North. GPQ provided a rapid response to these natural disasters with the creation of an action plan to support affected Divisions and general practices. GPQ also provides representation on the statewide Human and Social Recovery Subcommittee and coordinates the delivery of Skills for Psychological Recovery training for primary health care providers in flood and cyclone damaged communities.

In May 2011, GPQ and QAIHC signs a collaborative agreement. Both organisations stated their intention to work together in a systematic and sustained way to overcome the significant logistical, environmental and lifestyle factors that perpetuate the health divide between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons and other Australians. In November, GPQ hosts an Outreach Services Gala Dinner to celebrate more than a decade of increasing access to medical and specialist services in rural and remote Queensland through the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP). 2012 was a watershed year as GPQ ends its role as the state-based peak body for Divisions of General Practice and starts its transition to an independent, industry body dedicated to advancing primary healthcare.

Health reform brings change with eleven Medicare Locals to be established in Queensland by June, all evolving from the Divisions of General Practice. GPQ plays an important role supporting the evolution of Medicare Locals and ensuring the smooth transition of Commonwealth-funded programs.

As GPQ supports the Divisions through significant change it also must focus on its own transformation. This includes constitutional change as well as a new business model, revised strategic direction and new branding. Changes to the constitution enable the new Medicare Locals and other organisations with a primary health focus to become members. In October 2012, the new CheckUP corporate branding was unveiled along with the launch of a Foundation Membership campaign. It brings an enthusiastic response with 45 like-minded organisations becoming members.

By the end of the year the transition to CheckUP is well underway with Commonwealth funded programs and responsibilities smoothly transferred to the eleven newly established Medicare Locals.

On 1 January 2013, General Practice Queensland starts trading as CheckUP. This is a significant milestone for the organisation, which starts the year with a new Board of Directors, 45 Foundation Members and a clear vision for the future. CheckUP continues to connect the healthcare sector through a range of networks including Queensland Primary Health Care Network (QPHCN), the Queensland General Practice Liaison Officer (GPLO) Network and the Queensland GP Alliance. In May 2013, CheckUP in partnership with the QAIHC, is announced as the jurisdictional fund holder of the newly established Rural Health Outreach Fund and the Medical Outreach Chronic Disease Program. These two new funds represented a significant opportunity to drive an integrated approach to the delivery of outreach medical specialist, GP and specialised allied health professional services to those living in urban, regional, rural and remote locations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In February 2014 CheckUP moves office to co-locate with QAIHC and we are also awarded the Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening program. The new location consolidates a partnership approach and joint commitment to improve Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander health. Both organisations are determined to work together in a sustained way to overcome the significant health divide between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. A new regional structure is established to ensure equitable access to services under the Outreach program. The structure is supported by Regional Coordinators who are on the ground to facilitate planning and delivery of services across six regions in Queensland in alignment with local community needs.

Throughout the year, CheckUP continues to be an important “connector” for primary health, bringing together many different stakeholders through a wide range of high quality events. This includes the highly successful Health Leaders Forum in September where 110 delegates from 64 organisations come together to discuss new ways of working collaboratively. New information to inform healthcare planning and service delivery is sought as CheckUP’s annual survey is given a new name, Health in Focus, and invites the general public to have their say about the issues that matter most to them in relation to healthcare in Queensland.

Mental health skills training has been very popular with workshops run in South Brisbane, Cairns, Emerald and Rockhampton receiving excellent feedback. The organisation’s knowledge and commitment in supporting mental health improvement is further acknowledged as the Queensland Mental Health Commission engages CheckUP to lead a service and integration mapping project to inform the Queensland Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan 2104-2019. Information discovered through the project informs the Shared Commitments to Action document.

Outreach services continue to strengthen with new models of care and improved coordination increasing much needed services for remote and very remote communities. The Commonwealth Department of Health funds additional ENT surgery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who would otherwise be on a two to three-year waiting list. The surgeries, coordinated by North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health (NCACCH) take place at Noosa Hospital improving hearing and speech for 21 children, aged between three and 19 years.

New partnerships give birth to new programs. December 2015 marks the establishment of a partnership between the Department of Education and Training, LTTS and CheckUP to support the Allied Health in Remote Schools initiative. This initiative integrates education and health methods to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with developmental needs. CheckUP also continues to connect primary health care organisations. The 2015 Health Leaders Forum to attract a record number of attendees with the theme Primary health care: Working together to make it happen. The inaugural Outreach Symposium is held in November 2015 attended by 110 delegates from across the state. The symposium showcases best practice models of healthcare for delivering vital services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people living in rural and remote areas of Queensland. The first edition of IMPACT, CheckUP’s new magazine, is launched at the symposium.

By 2016, CheckUP’s Outreach Programs are delivering much needed services for those who need it most with additional funding, partnerships and collaboration boosting services. CheckUP is awarded the Visiting Optometrist Scheme and Indigenous Eye Health contracts under the MOICDP program. Over the course of the year 110 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the South West, Lower Gulf and Mount Isa regions have sight saving cataract surgery. In addition, 31 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from the Cape and Sunshine Coast regions receive ENT surgery. CheckUP collaborates with a range of organisations and stakeholders to ensure the success of these surgeries.

CheckUP’s signature event, the CheckUP Forum, in September 2016 attracted almost 200 delegates from 89 different health and community organisations. Facilitated by Dr Norman Swan, the theme was #health2020: change is on the horizon and presentations explored emerging trends and technologies in healthcare. CheckUP continued to grow throughout 2017 and 2018 with the Commonwealth Department of Health providing funding to CheckUP to lead the trial of the Centre for Rural and Regional Indigenous Health’s (CRRIH – formerly CQRAICCHO) Tucka-Time Program in six rural and remote schools across Queensland. CheckUP also secures the Queensland Department of Education and Training Be Well Learn Well contract in partnership with Gidgee Healing and Apunipima Cape York Health Council.

After (almost) 25 years we are more determined than ever before to ensure that every person, no matter who they are or where they live, has access to high quality healthcare.