Doctors' Health in Queensland

What Doctors' Health in Queensland does

Doctors' Health in Queensland (DHQ), trading as Doctors' Health Qld Limited, is a not-for-profit registered charity established in 1989 (originally as the Doctors' Health Advisory Service of Queensland) and rebranded to its current name in 2020. It provides a 24/7 confidential telephone support line staffed by volunteer senior GPs, education sessions (workshops, webinars and RACGP-accredited activities), a directory portal of health professionals experienced in treating doctors, forums such as The New Horizon Forum and Doctors Unmasked, the Passion Beyond Medicine exhibition program, and peer support training for clinicians. The service is targeted exclusively at Queensland-based medical practitioners and medical students — including GPs, specialists, junior medical officers, rural practitioners, international medical graduates, doctors in training and students — with the helpline also available to family members. The organisation operates from Brisbane and delivers services across Queensland; other Australian states and territories are served by separate DRS4DRS-aligned services.

DHQ is funded at arm's length by the Medical Board of Australia via the national DRS4DRS service (Doctors' Health Services Pty Ltd), a relationship established in 2016 when DHQ was selected as part of the Medical Board's national expansion of doctors' health services and concurrently established its wholly owned operating subsidiary, the Qld Doctors Health Programme (QDHP). Revenue is supplemented by tax-deductible donations processed via Stripe and PayPal, and business support services are provided by AMA Queensland. All clinical services are provided free of charge to callers; the underlying technology stack is a standard website and content platform with a directory portal, basic payment processing, email newsletter infrastructure and telehealth-ready listings — there is no proprietary AI, no published API, and no disclosed patents or trademarks. Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors and Management Committee, currently chaired by Dr Glynn Kelly, with Dr Alison Smith elected President in 2025 and Dr Jennifer Schafer serving as Medical Director of QDHP.

Strategically, DHQ is embedded in a national doctors' health ecosystem: it is a member of the Doctors' Health Alliance (co-convening the biennial Australasian Doctors' Health Conference), partners with the Medical Benevolent Association of Queensland (financial-assistance referrals), AMA Queensland, RACGP Queensland (event sponsorship and accreditation) and Avant Mutual (platinum event sponsor). Its competitive position rests on three decades of brand trust with Queensland clinicians, the regulatory independence it maintains from AHPRA — which is foundational to caller confidentiality — and a volunteer-driven peer-support model that would be expensive for a for-profit telehealth entrant to replicate at the same clinical credibility.

Name

Doctors' Health in Queensland

Legal name

Doctors' Health Qld Limited

Website

https://dhq.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Doctors' Health in Queensland (DHQ) is a not-for-profit charity providing a 24/7 confidential peer support line, education sessions, and a health-professional directory for Queensland doctors and medical students. Founded in 1989, it is funded by the Medical Board of Australia via DRS4DRS and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Physician Health Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Support Communities (BPAMABAL)

Keywords

• Doctors health support
• Physician wellness services
• Medical professional helpline
• Peer support healthcare
• Doctor health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government and Arm's-Length Funding: DHQ receives funding at arm's length from the Medical Board of Australia via the national service DRS4DRS. In 2016, DHQ was selected by Doctors' Health Services Pty Ltd (now DRS4DRS) to receive funding as part of the Medical Board of Australia's vision to expand doctors' health services across Australia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DHQ provides a 24/7 confidential telephone support line staffed by volunteer senior GPs that assists Queensland doctors and medical students facing stress, mental health concerns, workplace issues, bullying, and personal or financial crises. It supplements the helpline with education sessions (webinars, workshops, RACGP-accredited activities), an online directory of health professionals experienced in treating doctors, peer support training, and community forums focused on doctors' health and wellbeing.

Product overview

Doctors' Health in Queensland (DHQ) is a charitable organization providing a suite of support services for Queensland doctors and medical students. The core offerings include a 24/7 confidential telephone support line staffed by volunteer senior GPs, educational workshops and webinars on doctor health topics, and a directory of health professionals experienced in treating medical practitioners. DHQ also organizes forums, exhibitions (such as Passion Beyond Medicine), and peer support training programs to promote doctors' wellbeing and connectedness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Support Line
• Education Sessions
• Find a Health Professional Portal An online directory service connecting Queensland doctors and medical students with health professionals who have experience treating medical practitioners, including GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and career coaches, with postcode search and advanced filtering.
• Resources and Publications Downloadable resources, articles, and publications covering doctors' health topics including choosing a GP, thriving in medicine, and wellness guidance for the medical profession.
• Peer Support Training Training for doctors to become peer support facilitators and serve on the DHQ support line panel, including workshops on caring for colleagues.
• Doctors' Health Forums and Exhibitions Community forums and exhibitions such as The New Horizon Forum, Doctors Unmasked Forum, and Passion Beyond Medicine exhibition that focus on doctors' health, wellbeing, and creative engagement beyond clinical practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Support line available 24/7 to all Queensland doctors and medical students

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Doctors' Health Alliance (DHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHQ is a member of the Doctors' Health Alliance, a national body that evolved from the Australasian Doctors' Health Network with the mission of improving doctors' health. DHQ works with DHA to proactively engage with other doctors' health services across Australia and New Zealand, and co-convenes the Australasian Doctors' Health Conference every two years.
• Medical Benevolent Association of Queensland (MBAQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHQ works as a charitable organisation in collaboration with the Medical Benevolent Association of Queensland, which provides financial assistance to medical practitioners through crises. DHQ also refers callers to MBAQ for financial support where needed.
• Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA Queensland provides business support services to DHQ. DHQ collaborates with AMAQ on events, education sessions, and advocacy activities. AMAQ supports DHQ through the AMA Queensland Foundation.
• Avant MutualmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAvant Mutual is a platinum sponsor of DHQ forums and events including The New Horizon Forum (2021) and Passion Beyond Medicine exhibitions. Avant provides medicolegal support for doctors and champions doctors' health. Representatives contribute as speakers at DHQ events.
• RACGP QueenslandmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRACGP Queensland is a sponsor of DHQ events including The New Horizon Forum and Passion Beyond Medicine exhibitions. DHQ delivers RACGP-accredited education sessions and is listed in RACGP's GP Support Program resources.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DRS4DRS (Doctors' Health Services Pty Ltd): National coordinator that channels Medical Board of Australia funding to state-level doctors' health services including DHQ. Operates the overarching infrastructure that DHQ depends on, making it the closest system-level peer.

Direct peers

• Victorian Doctors Health Program (VDHP): Direct state-level peer providing confidential health and wellbeing support to Victorian doctors and medical students, modelled on the same physicians-for-physicians approach as DHQ.
• Doctors' Health SA: South Australian doctors' health service offering peer support, education, and referrals to medical practitioners, structurally analogous to DHQ within its state.
• NSW & ACT Doctors Health Network: Provides peer support, education, and advocacy for doctors and medical students in NSW and ACT. Closest comparable in terms of service mix (helpline, education, advocacy) to DHQ.

Others

• Doctors' Health Alliance (DHA): National peak body of which DHQ is a member, coordinating doctors' health services across Australia and New Zealand. Functions as an ecosystem orchestrator rather than a service provider.
• Medical Benevolent Association of Queensland (MBAQ): Queensland-based mutual-support charity for doctors in financial or personal crisis. Complementary rather than competitive: DHQ refers callers to MBAQ for financial assistance.
• Avant Mutual: Australia's largest medical indemnity insurer and a platinum sponsor of DHQ events. Relevant peer because it offers member wellbeing and medico-legal support programmes that overlap with DHQ's mandate.
• AMA Queensland: Provides business support services to DHQ and runs complementary advocacy and wellbeing programmes for Queensland doctors. Closely allied but not a direct service competitor.

Emerging players

• Physician Support Line (US): US-based free confidential peer support helpline for physicians and medical students, modelled on the same colleague-to-colleague approach DHQ uses.
• Doctors' Support Network (UK): UK charity providing confidential peer support for doctors and medical students with mental health concerns. International analogue demonstrating the model DHQ operates at national level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dochealthqld
• Facebookfacebook.com/DocHealthQLD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doctors-health-in-queensland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Doctors' Health in Queensland