Cape york paediatric outreach clinic: Improving access to primary care in the Cape York Peninsula region

Some communities in remote areas of Australia differ demographically, culturally and in their heath needs from communities in the rest of the country. The population of the Cape York Peninsula region is younger than the rest of Australia, with the majority living in one of eight remote Indigenous communities. The Cape York Paediatric Outreach Program has been providing a continual paediatric service to the remote communities of Cape York since 1994. This article discusses how the service was established and how the clinic has raised the profile of children's health in the region. It describes the methods employed to tackle problems with staffing, medication delivery and the management of complex care needs.