A powerful union has called for a major shake-up of the bureaucratic structure in Queensland’s Health Department.
A motion supported by party delegates at the Labor State Conference in Mackay at the weekend noted “the failure of some HHS boards and a management to appropriately deliver services”.
Electrical Trades Union secretary Peter Ong, who moved the motion, said the management structure at Queensland Health was put in place to streamline the delivery of health services
in Queensland.
“And, to date, we believe they’ve done exactly the opposite,” he told the conference in Mackay.
“These autonomous bodies that act in the regions – they don’t listen to each other, they don’t listen to the Minister or the DG (Director-General), and we have a huge difficulty with them when we’re trying to negotiate EAs (enterprise agreements).”
Sky News host Amanda Stoker says Queensland’s health system “has reached a crisis point” with the removal of maternity wards and post-natal care services in a number of regional areas.
“Without these vital services, regional towns just wither and die,” she said.
Ms Stoker said the state government is saying “they don’t think your community is worth it” when they pull these services from communities such as Gladstone, which has 65,000 people and 600 births a year.
“Women in these districts are now faced with the very real prospect of giving birth by the side of the road – or having to move from home into a city like Rockhampton in the final weeks before the due date.”
Australian Workers’ Union’s Joseph Kaiser said his union didn’t necessarily support the structure overhaul, but supported the government sacking boards who didn’t appropriately deliver services.
“This government has taken action against multiple rogue HHS boards who weren’t delivering for Queenslanders or their workers,” he said.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said: “Our hospital boards are there to work with the community to ensure that we are spending our hard-working taxpayer dollars on healthcare that is needed for local communities.”