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Under the Federal Government's Health Reforms, from 1 July 2012, the existing public hospitals and health services within the south Brisbane, Logan and Redland areas will form part of the new Metro South Hospital and Health Service. This statutory body will be based on the previous Metro South Health Service District, with the same geographic boundaries.
While our high-level management structures will change, all of our facilities will remain committed to providing our patients with the same, high quality health care that they always have. There will not be any change to the way you access your health care, whether it's attending an appointment at your local hospital, visiting a community health care, or accessing our emergency departments in a crisis.
| What will be changing?
There will be no change to the way you access your health services or to the quality of treatment you receive. In fact, it is likely you will not notice any immediate changes at all. What is changing is the management and administration of our services. An agreement between the Federal Government and all Australian states and territories will see the establishment of independent Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) in Queensland. The Metro South Hospital and Health Service will become the network responsible for providing services in the geographical area of Brisbane’s south side, Logan and Redland. Metro South will be an independent statutory body overseen by a Hospital and Health Board. The service will be responsible for making its own operational decisions to meet the specific health needs of the community. Metro South will be required to meet performance and budget standards set by the Federal and State governments. |
| Will this affect the level of service I receive?
No - we are committed to continuing the same high quality service that we have been providing in our community for many years. The changes only affect the internal management and administration of our hospitals and health services. |
| Will my appointment change?
No - all existing appointments will remain in place. |
| How will I access health services now?
You will be able to follow the same process for referring to our health services as you always have - primarily through your general practitioner (GP). In addition, our emergency departments will continue to provide care for people in life-threatening or serious situations. |
| Will services be improved as a result of the reforms?
We're continually looking for ways to improve the services we provide to our patients. While there will be no immediate changes, having a localised management team will mean we will be able to better tailor our future services to the specific needs of our community. |
| What is the role of the Hospital and Health Board?
Metro South will have a local Hospital and Health Board that is legally responsible for the operation of the service. This board will be made up of local health, management, legal and finance professionals as well as those with community based knowledge and expertise. The members of the board must act in the interests of Metro South and will not represent any particular groups. |
| Who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the service?
There will be a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), appointed by the Metro South Hospital and Health Board, who will be responsible for the running of the service. The CEO will be accountable to the Board. |
| What is the role of Queensland Health (Department of Health) under the reforms?
Metro South Hospital and Health Service, as an independent provider of health services, will enter in to an agreement with Queensland Health that describes the broad range and number of services to be provided. In simple terms, that means Queensland Health will provide funding to the network in exchange for health services in the Metro South catchment. It is proposed Queensland Health will undertake the role of a “system manager” as part of the reform. The department will oversee items of state-wide significance such as capital projects, industrial agreements and awards, and data reporting and monitoring. |
| Is Metro South seeking input from patients and the community on the new network?
Yes - we welcome all feedback on the proposed structure and functions of Metro South presented in this website. While the Federal and State governments have mandated the formation of Hospital and Health Services, we now have the opportunity to shape our network to meet the needs of the unique population in the Brisbane south side, Logan and Redland area. Please use the feedback page on this website to provide your comments. |
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