The Queensland Government has announced the passage of the Health and Hospitals Network Bill which will see the establishment of 17 Local Health and Hospital Networks (LHHNs) as part of the ongoing COAG National Reform Agenda.

 

The LHHNs will  deliver specific health services to regions, taking management responsibilities for single or small group of public hospitals. One of the LHHNs, the he Children's Health Services, will be a dedicated statewide children's network offering specialist paediatric services.

 

“This is a chance to build a public health system that not only puts the needs of patients first, but values the local knowledge of our skilled and hardworking front line staff,” State Health Minister Geoff Wilson said.

 

Under COAG reforms, states will be the ‘system managers’ for the public health system and will be responsible for:

  • entering into service agreements with networks to provide public sector health services
  • system-wide health service planning and policy
  • system-wide public hospital capital planning and management, and project management of hospital capital projects
  • State-wide public hospital industrial relations, including thenegotiation of enterprise bargaining agreements, and theestablishment of remuneration  and employment conditions foremployees working in networks, and
  • monitoring public hospital performance, including taking action toaddress poor performance.

The Queensland Government is currently calling for expressions of interest for the positions of chair and members of the LHHN Governing Councils. Applications close on October 21.

 

A full list of Queensland's LHHNs can be found here 

 

More information on the legislation can be found here