Meeting date: 9 March 2022, 20 April 2022, 2-3 June 2022
To meet the health needs of Queenslanders and our increasing population we need to recognise that the way we do things now is not going to be able to be sustained into the future. When coupled with an ageing health workforce and the growing demand on health services, now is the time for a fundamental reform of Queensland Health system. This means not only changes at a system level but the way in which clinicians go about their daily work. To ensure clinicians are heard and involved in the discussions around reform, the Queensland Clinical Senate designed a three-part meeting series to engage consumers and clinicians to actively contribute to this reform and develop a set of recommendations. We asked our meeting attendees to be brave and bold in their thinking, to think outside of any real or perceived constraints to imagine what great care can look like for our patients right now. How can we provide care closer to people’s homes that is timelier, consumer centred and sustainable? What changes need to happen to make this possible and what barriers do we need to remove?
The Reimagining healthcare series: for the next phase and beyond (radical thinking required) meetings occurred during the early part of 2022.
- Session 1 on 9 March investigated the ‘WHY’ – the burning platform for change and understanding what matters to us. We found out what matters to our consumers – timely, high value care that is close to home. We also found out what the great things are that we can build on – our passionate workforce, virtual care and our engaged consumers who are willing and able to co-design with us.
- Session 2 held on 20 April was the ‘WHAT’. We looked at a number of excellent models of care that are heading in the right direction but needed some good innovative thinking to take it statewide. Design-thinking was used to reimagine three consumer experiences to positively transform the experience away from waiting lists and lack of timely care into something that is far more responsive.
- 2 and 3 June saw the third and final instalment in the Senate’s three-part series and was held in Brisbane as our first face-to-face session since 2019. The third session concentrated on the ‘HOW’ – how do we get there, what barriers need to be removed? This meeting discussed possible recommendations which are in the meeting report.
