Our services
The Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care (IROC) team do lung health checks and treat children with lung and breathing problems.
We also talk to the community about lung health and help them to understand the respiratory system. Respiratory problems affect your child's breathing.
We partner with local health care providers and help to train local staff.
What happens at the clinics
When your child visits the clinic, they’ll have a range of examinations.
A paediatric respiratory doctor will take a detailed history about your child’s respiratory symptoms, for example:
- cough
- wheeze
- how often a hospital has admitted your child for respiratory infections
- shortness of wind or breath
- sleep issues.
A respiratory nurse will talk to you and your child about their condition. They'll also make sure you know how to take medicines and use any devices needed correctly.
If your child is old enough, a respiratory scientist will measure their lung function. Your child will need to blow into an instrument to do this. The results will help us diagnose and monitor any lung problems.
If needed, a physiotherapist will talk to you and your child about lung conditions and show you some breathing exercises or techniques to clear the lungs. They'll also do some physical activities with your child and talk about exercise.
We’ll order a chest x-ray and refer your child to other specialists at the hospital if needed.
Where the clinics are
We visit the following communities 2 times a year:
- Bamaga
- Barcaldine
- Charleville
- Cherbourg
- Cunnamulla
- Dalby
- Doomadgee
- Longreach
- Mornington Island
- Mount Isa
- Thursday Island
- Weipa
- Woorabinda.
How to get an appointment
Ask your local health worker or GP to make an appointment for your child with the IROC clinic near you. They can email us a referral at IROCadmin@health.qld.gov.au or CHQ-REF@health.qld.gov.au with "IROC Priority" mentioned.
Who we work with
We’re part of the Queensland Respiratory and Sleep Clinical Network.
The Making Tracks Investment, First Nations Health Office Queensland Department of Health funds our service.