The Queensland Clinical Senate has released its ‘Reimagining Healthcare’ meeting series recommendations.
Endorsed by Queensland Health’s Executive Leadership Team, the recommendations incorporate key learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic response, input from the primary care sector and other innovative models of care to promote the healthcare system to deliver timelier, consumer-centred and sustainable care closer to people’s homes.
Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly said the recommendations added the collective voice of clinicians and consumers to Queensland Health’s reform project.
‘Our recommendations are not about short-term fixes, but on fundamental change at a system level and in the way we, as clinicians, go about our daily work,’ she said.
‘We’re thrilled to be adding our collective learnings, experiences and vision to the system’s vital reform process.’
The recommendations focus on a number of key reform areas:
- A more direct relationship between primary care and specialty teams through Rapid Access Services, home based care and shared care.
- How Rapid Access Services change the day-to-day routines in hospitals
- Working with care partners to streamline urgent care (including virtual urgent care)
- Collaboration across levels of government, agencies and clinical disciplines.
In addition, there are a number of supporting recommendations that focus the system level changes that are required to support novel models to scale. These recommendations particularly include changes to the structure of funding models and digital health recommendations related to information sharing and consumer portals.
Dr Kelly said the system had a lot of strengths to build on during the reform process.
‘Throughout out meeting series we were able to pinpoint the great things we have to build on - we have a passionate workforce, virtual care and our engaged consumers who are willing and able to participate in co-design. And there are many excellent models of care that are already getting great outcomes for patients and the system.’
‘We have a really big opportunity right now in Queensland to make vital and lasting change for future generations – to leave a legacy of an accessible, high quality and sustainable health system.’
The Senate will continue to partner with the Reform Office to progress meaningful change across the health system and Reform Office Clinical Lead Dr Elizabeth Whiting thanked Senate members for their passion and enthusiasm in recognising the value and need for system-wide change.
“The Senate’s recommendations align with feedback provided to the Reform Office during recent system-wide consultation and are helping to shape our ten-year vision for reform.”
for further information read the meeting recommendations and full report (PDF, 3.5MB)
