The newly established Far North Queensland OGET (Obstetric and Gynaecology Education and Training) Hub has made a powerful entrance, delivering a dynamic week of hands-on training, clinical discussion, and engagement during its inaugural outreach visit to Thursday Island, which commenced on 28 May.
Led by GP Obstetrician Dr Philippa Mason and joined by Dr Ruth Hodgson (FRANZCOG), the team hosted a packed schedule of educational sessions aimed at building capacity and confidence among rural and remote maternity care providers.
The team delivered two interactive webinars focusing on Fertility for Primary Care Providers and Complex Antenatal Care in the Torres Strait. These sessions were well attended by clinicians from Thursday Island Hospital, Bamaga Hospital, the TI Primary Health Care Centre (Sibuwanay Ngurpay Meta), and primary health centres across the outer Torres Strait islands.
The highlight of the week was a full-day OGET training session, where participants took part in case-based discussions on Operative Delivery and Placenta Accreta/COG (Care Outside the Guidelines). Hands-on skills training featured the use of the Desperate Debra model to simulate forceps application and challenging caesarean deliveries, including techniques involving the fetal pillow.
In addition to high-fidelity simulation, the team introduced low-fidelity uterine models, custom made for the trip, to teach essential procedures such as different uterine incisions and repairs, B-Lynch sutures, and emergency response to catastrophic haemorrhage. Special requests from the local maternity team also led to targeted sessions revising the management of unexpected breech birth and administration of pudendal blocks.
Dr Mason reported that feedback from the visit had been “overwhelmingly positive”, with participants praising the relevance, accessibility, and practicality of the training. The Thursday Island team has already expressed enthusiasm for a follow-up visit later in the year.
Special thanks go to Dr Jake Parker, GPO at Thursday Island Hospital, whose support was instrumental in coordinating the visit.
The Far North Queensland OGET Hub supports and provides education to maternity facilities across six sites including Cairns, Weipa, Thursday Island, Atherton, Innisfail and Mossman, with webinars also extending to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and GPs providing shared care in local rural communities.
As the Hub continues to grow, this first outreach has set a strong precedent for collaborative, community-led education that responds directly to the needs of frontline providers across the Torres Strait.
The College is actively advocating for continued Commonwealth funding after February 2026 to support Far North Queensland and eight other OGET Hubs across Australia.
