2024-25
Year in Review
Brisbane South PHN
Welcome
Brisbane South PHN is helping to build a fairer, more sustainable health system in response to local community needs. This year, we continued our work with governments, healthcare providers and community organisations to:
- support the primary and tertiary health systems to work better together
- reduce barriers to accessing inclusive, quality care for under-served communities
- focus on improving health and wellbeing outcomes for all people across our region.
The year brought both familiar challenges and great opportunities to strengthen these partnerships, furthering our progress towards our vision of healthy, thriving communities across the Brisbane South PHN region and beyond.
We invite you to explore some of our highlights from the past year.
Health is the heart of the community.
Community is the heart of health.
The Community Heart artwork represents the idea that, like the healthcare system, strength comes from different elements working together—a pulsing exchange of knowledge, perspectives, and collaboration. Its rich, interwoven patterns reflect the power of unity, innovation, and diversity. Despite our varied backgrounds, our hearts—the common core of all people—connect us in our shared goal of improving health outcomes for all.
Artwork by Rachael Sarra for Brisbane South PHN
Acknowledgement
of Country
Baugull nyungai – Yugambeh good day
(Bundjalung-Yugambeh – Beaudesert, Logan)
Gurumba bigi – Yugarabul good day
(Brisbane western suburbs)
Maroomba biggee – Jandai good day
(Minjerribah – North Stradbroke Island)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and of the many different nations across the wider Brisbane South PHN region. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, as the holders of the memories, the traditions, the culture and the spiritual wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation.
We acknowledge any Sorry Business that may be affecting the communities as a whole. In the spirit of reconciliation, partnership and mutual respect, we will continue to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to shape a health system that responds to the needs and aspirations of the community.
Message from the CEO and Board Chair
Celebrating 10 years of partnerships and progress towards better health
This year marks 10 years since primary health networks (PHNs) were established to help deliver a primary health care system that is accessible, coordinated and sustainable.
After a decade, the foundation of PHNs is stronger. Our partnerships are deeper. The evidence for what works is clearer. Together with our partners—general practices and allied health practices, Hospital and Health services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, all 3 levels of government, and the communities we serve—Brisbane South PHN will continue to build a health system that cares for everyone.
For Brisbane South PHN, this decade milestone was an opportunity to reflect on how both our cross-sector partnerships and our health programs have shaped progress toward reducing health inequities in our region and beyond.
Together with Metro South Health, Children's Health Queensland, Mater, local general practices, allied health and community service providers, we've strengthened care coordination, supported prevention and mental health services, and ensured more people can access the right care, closer to home.
Highlights from this year
This year, we advanced shared health response planning between state and federal governments through the Joint Regional Needs Assessment 2025–27 and the Brisbane South Joint Regional Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, Alcohol and Other Drugs Plan. These plans outline our shared regional health and wellbeing insights and coordinated action towards improving community health outcomes with our Hospital and Health Services partner, Metro South Health.
When ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred impacted the region in early March, we mobilised 33 staff who supported the exchange of critical information to and from local primary care services and state and federal government health departments. This helped our community to navigate open and available primary care services during the disaster event and supported affected general practices to recover quickly.
The independent evaluation of our joint Pasifika and Māori Health and Wellbeing Strategy confirmed what supported community leadership can achieve for delivering culturally inclusive programs for positive health outcomes. More than $2.6 million invested through equal decision-making between community and system partners produced tangible improvements in maternal wellbeing, mental health and workforce participation.
We proudly commissioned the opening of 2 new Medicare Mental Health Centres in Logan and Redlands, to provide free, walk-in mental health care and support for people living and working in the area.
And a third Medicare Urgent Care Clinic was opened in Oxley to provide people in south-western Brisbane with bulk-billed, walk-in care for urgent but non-emergency illness and injuries.
Altogether, our region’s 3 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics doubled service delivery this year, providing 39,597 episodes of care for people with urgent health conditions, helping to ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.
Looking ahead
As we move into 2025–26, we'll continue to:
- strengthen systems that support coordinated, efficient, high-quality care
- remove barriers that prevent people from accessing services when they need them
- improve outcomes—particularly for the people and communities that have historically experienced poorer health outcomes.
To every general practice, hospital partner, community organisation, consumer representative and community member who contributed to these outcomes: thank you. Your collaboration, expertise and commitment make this work possible.
Together, we're helping to build a more equitable and sustainable system of healthcare where all people and communities across our region are healthy and thriving.
Mike Bosel | Chief Executive Officer
Kay Toshach | Board Chair
Get to know our region
The Brisbane South PHN region covers 223 suburbs across Logan, Redland, Brisbane and Scenic Rim. Our boundaries align with Metro South Hospital and Health Service, enabling coordinated planning between GP services and hospital care.
We're home to more than 1.2 million people—nearly one-quarter of Queensland's population—expected to reach 1.4 million by 2032.
Our region's diversity shapes everything we do.
Our population is culturally and linguistically diverse.
1 in 3 people were born or have parents who were born overseas.
1 in 5 people were born in non-English-speaking countries.
More than 240 languages are spoken across our region.
Our PHN region has the largest urban First Nations population in Queensland and the largest population of Pasifika and Māori peoples residing outside of those countries of origin, compared to other metropolitan PHN regions in Australia.
Our needs assessments reveal that support for mental health is the most commonly reported concern for the region.
These factors, and more, drive our commitment to strengthening health equity and culturally responsive care for the people and communities we serve.
Learn how Brisbane South PHN is helping to improve our health system.
Built with Shorthand