A FRESH START FOR QUEENSLAND Crisafulli Government delivers clinicians a voice

• The Crisafulli Government has delivered new laws to put frontline clinicians on all Hospital and Health Boards, as promised. 
• The Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 has been passed in Queensland Parliament, delivering a Fresh Start for Queensland.
• Labor voted against having doctors and nurses on local hospital boards.
• The new laws will take effect from 1 April, 2026 to align with next round of board member recruitments.  

The Crisafulli Government is delivering on a key election promise with new laws to require local clinicians be appointed to Hospital and Health Boards, to help heal Labor’s Health Crisis.

The Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 requires all 16 of Queensland’s Hospital and Health Boards to include at least one registered health practitioner currently working for the local Hospital and Health Service. 

The change will empower local clinical teams to implement solutions, because they know their community best.

Despite the Crisafulli Government receiving a clear mandate from Queenslanders, the Labor Opposition specifically voted against the requirement, shutting local clinicians out of decision making.

The Crisafulli Government’s Easier Access to Health Services Plan will deliver resources to where they are needed most, to diagnose, treat and cure Labor’s Health Crisis.

The Hospital Rescue Plan will also deliver the work and planning required to ensure all services that should be delivered with these new and expanded hospitals, are delivered.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the new laws were an important part of delivering a fresh start to help heal the Queensland Health Crisis left behind by Labor.

“The Crisafulli Government is committed to respecting, empowering and listening to our frontline clinicians, which is why we’re ensuring they’ve got an important role in local decision-making,” Minister Nicholls said.

“Frontline health workers know their local hospital, they know their local communities and they are best place to know what’s needed locally.

“A decade of Labor not only left health workers without a guaranteed seat at the decision-making table, they were undervalued and burnt out by Labor’s Health Crisis.

“Shamefully, Labor voted against these changes and in doing so smeared frontline clinicians as being incapable of acting impartially or in the interests of the greater good of their health service. 

“Not only is this attitude towards our frontline clinicians deeply disrespectful, it is also hypocritical.”

In 2020, then Health Minister Steven Miles clearly saw the value in this, by appointing nine clinicians to Hospital and Health Boards, clinicians working in the same Hospital and Health Service.  Under Shannon Fentiman, this number dropped to just five board members.

The requirement to include local clinicians on Hospital and Health Boards will take effect from 1 April 2026, aligning with the next major round of board member recruitments.  

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: David McLachlan, 0428 716 171