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The Crisafulli government’s move to include frontline workers on public hospital boards has created a potential conflict of interest at the 16 health services across Queensland, the state’s audit office has warned.
Changes to the state’s health boards legislation last year delivered on a Liberal-National election promise to “put doctors and nurses back in charge” in a bid to improve the performance of emergency departments and drive down critical care waiting times.
All hospital and health service boards are now required to have at least one registered health practitioner currently working at the facility.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls and the LNP went to the October 2024 election promising to put doctors and nurses “back in charge”.Credit: Matt Dennien
But Auditor-General Rachel Vagg raised concerns about the move in the body’s annual report into the state’s public hospital system, and called on the government to develop a plan to manage possible conflicts of interest ahead of a looming overhaul.
“This change is aimed at giving frontline staff a voice in how HHSs are run,” the report, published on Tuesday, states.
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“However, when a clinician employed by a HHS is also a member of that HHS’s board, there is potential for conflicts for them in both their employee role and board role.”
The report made one recommendation for each health service to develop a plan to manage the conflicts, preferably in consultation with the Integrity Commissioner.
In a response included in the report, Queensland Health director-general Dr David Rosengren said a standard baseline management and reporting plan was slated ahead of a significant appointment round in coming months.
“Establishing baseline management and reporting strategies for clinician members will ensure that conflicts of interest are identified and managed appropriately and consistently,” he wrote.
Comment has been sought from Health Minister Tim Nicholls, who was accused by Labor’s assistant health spokesperson, Joe Kelly, of “adding more red tape for hospital workers”.
“The Integrity Commissioner warned of this very issue,” Kelly said in a statement.
The LNP went to the October 2024 election promising to put doctors and nurses “back in charge”, despite health service boards featuring clinicians from other services or organisations.
Parliament passed laws last July to require these clinicians to come from within the same organisation – raising questions from some key stakeholders and the Labor opposition.
While noting the administrative burden of such conflicts was manageable, back in July, Integrity Commissioner Linda Waugh “questioned from a policy perspective” whether it was the best or only approach.
Matters needing management included issues coming before the board relating to a clinician’s role as an employee, and the fact that, as a board member, their chief executive must report to them, she said.
Waugh, in correspondence with the parliamentary committee considering the laws, also said it was “not appropriate” for an employee to be appointed as a chair or deputy chair of their board.
Nicholls, in his speech addressing feedback on the bill last year, said he was confident any conflicts could be managed, and noted one health service chair – appointed by Labor – was an employee.
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