A performance audit of Queensland Health’s implementation of the Specialist Outpatient Strategy introduced in 2015 has found that initially, long waits for access to specialist outpatient services were halved.
In his Report 8: 2020-2021, Improving access to specialist outpatient services, Auditor-General, Brendan Worrall said however that since 2017 the number of long waits for non-urgent cases had increased steadily.
“Queensland Health needs to address the challenge of increasing demand in its further reform work to create sustainable improvement,” Mr Worrall said.
He said Queensland’s growing and ageing population, with associated increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, was putting more pressure on the public health system at a time of significant fiscal constraints.
He said that since July 2015, $595 million had been allocated to the Specialist Outpatient Strategy to address the problem of long waits, defined as when patients waited longer than clinically recommended for a specialist appointment.
The Audit Report made four recommendations aimed at helping Queensland Health address pressure points in the health system.
Mr Worrall’s Report urged the Department to work with hospital and health services to embed proven, innovative models of care and more integrated health solutions across the State to help increase capacity and optimise benefits more broadly.
“It should implement initiatives to stream non-urgent referrals, where clinically appropriate, to alternate pathways to address priority pressure areas and early intervention,” the Auditor-Gneral said.
“GPs and Primary Health Networks should be engaged to identify and deliver any required training and support needed to achieve more widespread use of GP smart referrals.”
Mr Worrall said finally that the Department should develop clear and measurable objectives for future projects, including the Connecting your Care project, to assess whether intended benefits had been realised.
The 31-page Audit Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
