Hospital performance gets wider exposure

 Health Minister Lawrence Springborg today delivered on his promise to publish quarterly performance data for Queensland’s Hospital and Health Services when a ‘warts and all view’ appeared in many local newspapers.

Elective surgery, emergency department and specialist outpatient waiting times will now be published quarterly in newspapers, an integral part of state-wide health reforms outlined in the Government’s Blueprint for better healthcare in Queensland.

 
Data on increased support for families with newborns, numbers of hospital acquired infections and value for money will also be updated as annual figures become available.

 
“Queensland was the first state in Australia to routinely publish outpatient information by urgency category and we’re leading the way again,” Mr Springborg said.

 
“I want Queenslanders to see the full picture of how their Hospital and Health Service is performing and they will now have better access to this information than ever before.”

 
“This snapshot provides patients and GPs with an overview of how their local services are performing compared to the rest of the state.

 
“GPs can also view the broader range of data online to help refer patients to an appropriate hospital service with a shorter wait, or consider a referral to private specialists or alternative providers in the community.

 
“We are finally getting healthcare 100 per cent focused on the needs of patients, something this state missed for years under Labor.”

 
Mr Springborg said that Queensland Health as a whole needed to improve its performance as it strived to meet the national average price for health care delivery by mid-2014 – and to continue to improve in subsequent years.

 
“In November 2012, the number of patients whose stay in an emergency department was four hours or less broke through the 70 per cent barrier for the first time ever, and it continues to improve,” he said.

 
“This outstanding performance was a direct result of Queensland Health employees working with their new Hospital and Health Boards to focus on delivering solutions and improved and timelier care for patients.

 
“Our improved performance in emergency department access times must be translated into other areas including elective surgery and outpatient waiting times to ensure our patients are treated when and how they need.

 
“Continued improvement in emergency department access and elective surgery wait will also assist Queensland Health in remaining eligible for ongoing reward funding from the Commonwealth.”

 
The Government expects that publishing quarterly performance data in local newspapers will drive competition between Hospital and Health Services, with patients the winner and savings redirected to provide better local service.

 
“Many patients and consumers will be seeing their local health service in a ‘league table’ for the first time today and I can assure you, like any sporting code, that no Hospital and Health Service will want to be the one ‘propping up the table’,” he said.

 
The range of performance data published since the Newman Government came to power has been extended to include specialist waiting times, dental waiting lists and 15-month trend data.

 
An additional 24 hospitals will begin publicly reporting their emergency department performance data by the end of 2013.

Performance data can also be viewed at www.health.qld.gov.au/hospitalperformance. 

[ENDS] 3 May 2013                 Media contact: Clare Mildren 0417 255 284