Queensland Health is the name of the overall public health service in the state of Queensland, Australia. The system is made up of 16 Hospital and Health Services (HHS'), and the Queensland Department of Health. Each HHS covers a certain geographical area of Queensland, with the exception of the state-wide service, Children's Health Queensland, and operates health facilities and other services. The Department of Health is responsible for the management and performance of the system, and support services like finance, centralised supply and procurement, HR, and IT services. Most HHS' also have associated foundations and authorities, which provide additional support.
Like all other states and territories in Australia, the Queensland Government provides free or low-cost health services to people with a Medicare card or are from reciprocal country, or at-cost services to ineligible patients. In addition, some people from northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory receive care through Queensland Health due to a lack of services in their local areas. Queensland became the first state in Australia to introduce free universal public hospital treatment in January 1946, a policy later adopted by other jurisdictions.
Queensland Health employs over 97,000 staff and has an annual operating budget of over AU$30 billion. At the end of June 2014, there were 11,109 inpatient beds available across all state hospitals, with 305 designed intensive care beds.
History
2005 restructure
Queensland Health was restructured toward the end of 2005 from 38 health districts to 20. There were a number consolidations particularly in the urban areas with the formation of the "Northside" and "Southside" Districts. Northside District included three major hospital facilities including The Prince Charles Hospital, Redcliffe and Caboolture Hospitals while Southside brought the Logan, Redlands, Beaudesert and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospitals together. Due to their size and areas they covered, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) on the Northside, and the Princess Alexandra Hospital on the Southside remained independent districts in their own right.
In September 2008, the 20 health service districts were further reduced to 15. Six new districts were created, merging together other districts: Darling Downs-West Moreton incorporating the former Toowoomba and Darling Downs and West Moreton South Burnett districts. Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay incorporating the Sunshine Coast – Cooloola, Wide Bay and Fraser Coast health service districts. Metro South incorporates the Southside Health Service District and Princess Alexandra Hospital. Metro North incorporates the Northside Health Service District and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Children's Health Services, will oversee the implementation of a state-wide paediatric service.
2006 Health Quality and Complaints Commission
In response to the Forster Review of Queensland Health Systems an independent Health Quality and Complaints Commission was established on 1 July 2006 to allow patients to lodge complaints about health matters.
The (full-time) Commissioner is Professor Michael Ward, a former Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland. There are also a number of part-time Assistant Commissioners.
The Health Quality and Complaints Commission also has a role in the development and implementation of quality, safety and clinical practice standards throughout Queensland's public and private services and monitor best practice clinical governance and patient safety.
It was subject to review by an all-party Parliamentary Committee after its first full year of operation.
The HQCC has since been replaced by the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
2011 proposed decentralisation
Former Premier Anna Bligh announced on 12 December 2011 that the department would be dismantled. The decision was attributed to an "unacceptable culture", the theft of $16 million from the department and problems with the payroll system which has cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The department was due to cease operations on 1 July 2012.
In January 2012, more details of the reform plan were announced, with an emphasis on health care management to be done locally. Bligh described the changes as the biggest decentralisation of the public sector in the state's history. In March 2012, the ALP lost power in Queensland and the proposed abolition of Queensland Health did not eventuate.