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Under the Federal Government's Health Reforms, from next year, the existing public hospitals and health services within the south Brisbane, Logan and Redland areas will form part of the Metro South Hospital and Health Service. The service 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 refer your patients to our facilities or the way you interact with our staff.
The service will be run locally, for the benefit of the local community. For local health professionals - including primary care providers, general practitioners, and non-government health care organisations - this means we will be seeking your feedback to guide our decisions on clinical policies and future developments.
| What will be changing?
There will be no change to the way you refer to our health services or to the quality of treatment your patients receive. In fact, it is likely you will not notice any immediate changes at all. An agreement between the Federal Government and all Australian states and territories will see the establishment of 17 independent Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) in Queensland. The Metro South Hospital and Health Service will be responsible for providing public health services in the geographical area of Brisbane's south side, Logan and Redland. Metro South will be an independent statutory body overseen by a local Hospital and Health Board. The service will be responsible for making its own operational decisions to meet the specific health needs of the community. It will be required to meet performance and budget standards set by the Federal and State governments. The Metro South Hospital and Health Board will also be responsible for liaising and communicating with local primary health providers and organisations. |
| How will the reforms affect my interaction with and/or referrals to Metro South facilities?
You will still be able to refer to our services in the same way - view our GP Referral Centre for referral criteria, contact details and further information. We are not changing the way our services operate on a day-to-day basis. What is changing is the high-level decision making and planning components of our services. Our service will be overseen by a local, Hospital and Health Board, which will be required to ensure community and consumer perspectives are considered when making decisions about health policies, programs and services. This means that, as a local health professional or provider, the new Board will be seeking your feedback on how our service is run. As part of the reforms, our Hospital and Health Service will form an ongoing partnership with the new, independent Metro South Medicare Local, which is responsible for overseeing primary health services in the region. |
| 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. |
| Who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Metro South?
There will be a new position created called the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to replace the existing District CEO. This position will be appointed by the Hospital and Health Board and will be responsible for the running of services. The CEO will be accountable to the Board. |
| What is the role of Queensland Health (Department of Health) under the reforms?
Metro South, 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 health professionals/providers in 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. In addition to the feedback page on this website, we will engage with health professionals and organisations through direct contact with local representatives. |
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