Overview
Initiative type
Service Improvement
Status
Deliver
Published
June 2025
Summary
The Networked Oral Health Service Model is a collaborative initiative that addresses workforce shortages and improves patient access to services in rural and remote Queensland.
Implementation sites: Logan Hospital
Dates: August 2024 - March 2025
Partnerships: Metro South Oral Health; Central West Oral Health; North West Oral Health; South West Oral Health; Torres and Cape HHSs; Office of the Chief Dental Officer; MS Legal, HR, Travel, Finance, Payroll and Employment Relations team
This projected was presented as a Poster at CEQ Showcase 2025 (PDF 609KB).
Aim
- Enhance service consistency in remote HHSs
- Increase access to care in rural and remotes areas
- Improve recruitment and retention by offering clinicians a mix of metro and rural remote opportunities.
Outcomes
The model will:
- deliver over 3,500 additional appointments annually in Rural and Remote Queensland
- increase access to oral health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- reduce wait times for both emergency and general oral health services
- lower the disease burden in outback communities.
Background
Queenslanders living in regional and remote areas face significant barriers in accessing oral health care, primarily due to geographic isolation, logistical challenges, and ongoing workforce shortages, which collectively impact the availability and consistency of services for these communities. The primary issues this project aims to address are the inequitable access to timely oral health services for patients living in rural and remote communities, and the ongoing challenges related to workforce retention within rural and remote Hospital and Health Services (HHS). The strain increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with workforce shortages experienced over multiple HHSs. It was during this time that the concept for the Networked Oral Health Service model emerged. What began as an emergency response has now evolved into a formal, strategic model that strengthens public oral health services in rural and remote Queensland.
Methods
Initiated by the Office of the Chief Dental Officer and supported by the Queensland Health Workforce Strategy Investment Plan, this project is led by Metro South Oral Health in partnership with four Rural and Remote HHSs. Metro South Oral Health has established and recruited a dedicated travelling clinical team which consists of Senior Dentists, Senior Oral Health Therapists and Dental Assistants, coordinated by an administrative support.
Based in Metro South, the process begins when an HHS identifies a workforce shortage and submits a formal request. The administrative coordinator then collaborates with the HHS to arrange a travelling team, ensuring a seamless transition and that clinicians arrive informed, supported, and ready to deliver care.
The Networked Oral Health Service model officially launched in August 2024 following extensive collaboration and negotiations with key stakeholders including HHS Directors, Human Resources, Travel, Employment Relations and Finance teams. In February 2025, all participating HHSs formally committed to the model through the signing of a Service Level Agreement, establishing clear responsibilities, expectations and KPIs.
Discussion
Since February, the model has successfully delivered placements with multiple travel teams booked across the year in short-term rotations. These early wins highlight the model’s strong momentum and its potential to create long-term sustainable improvements in access to care for these communities.
The model is supported by regular updates, strong collaboration, and a cycle of continuous improvement, with encouraging feedback from both clinicians and participating HHSs. There is great potential to extend this model beyond general oral health into specialist care, as well as additional services provided by Dental Prosthetists and Dental Technicians, ensuring even more targeted care reaches rural and remote communities. Its success also highlights an opportunity to adapt this approach across other clinical areas facing similar workforce and access challenges, offering a scalable solution to strengthen care equity across Queensland.
References
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Metro South and Participating HHSs
- Workforce Strategy Investment plan
- Statewide Oral Health Pan
- Office of the Chief Dental Officer
Key contact
Dr Sumit Sachdeva
Director
Metro South Community and Oral Health