2016–17 Activity Statement—Health and Wellbeing

Queenslanders’ vision for health and wellbeing includes maintaining a health system among the best in the world that supports our quality of life and individual and community wellbeing, as well as taking personal responsibility for our health and wellbeing. The demand for health services is increasing as Queensland’s population continues to grow and age.

Queenslanders also highly value a natural environment that inspires an active lifestyle and supports healthy communities.

The Queensland Government is focused on providing a comprehensive whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach to ensure that services are patient centred, readily accessible and affordable for all sectors of society. In 2016–17, the Queensland Government:

Delivering quality frontline services

Promoting wellbeing

• performed 33,923 13 QUIT smoking cessation interactions with clients, including responding to 9,184 referrals from health professionals via Quitline
• launched the $55 million Queensland Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Strategy 2016–2021, to improve the responsiveness of services to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with severe mental illness 
• implemented the statewide B.Strong Indigenous Brief Intervention Training Program, building the capacity of Indigenous Health Workers, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) staff and other health and community service providers to deliver nutrition, physical activity and quit smoking advice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients
• continued implementing the Making Tracks Investment Strategy 2015–2018, with a combined investment of more than $90 million allocated to Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health services helping close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders
• invested $15.8 million over three years to implement the North Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexually Transmissible Infections Action Plan 2016–2021—aligned with the Queensland Sexual Health Strategy 2016–2021, the action plan aims to reduce the burden of STIs on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in North Queensland.

Delivering healthcare

• commenced implementation of the $361.2 million Specialist Outpatient Strategy: Improving the patient journey, tackling specialist outpatient waiting lists and improving access to specialist services
• committed $5.27 million over four years to implement the Queensland Sexual Health Strategy 2016–2021, developed in collaboration and consultation with stakeholders including health consumers and community organisations
• invested $12 million to develop three new purpose built, 10 bed adult Step Up Step Down facilities in Gladstone, Bundaberg and Mackay, expanding the range of services across the care continuum and promoting integration, partnerships and collaboration between HHSs and NGOs for mental health care delivered in the community
• developed the Action on Ice whole-of-government action plan, including a regional community engagement process, to address the harms associated with ice use
• awarded Advance Queensland PhD Scholarships to accelerate research and development of solutions to improve health outcomes
• implemented minimum nurse-to-patient ratio legislation from 1 July 2016 across 27 facilities and 155 wards throughout the state—there are now 154 in-scope wards across 27 facilities
• continued to focus on road safety initiatives, part of a continuing commitment to eliminate death and debilitating injury on our road network
• employed 121 nurse navigators and 16 nursing and midwifery educators and an additional 110 ambulance operatives.

Connecting healthcare

• delivered the $350 million Connecting Care to Recovery 2016–2021: A plan for Queensland’s State-funded mental health, alcohol and other drug services
• invested $27.5 million to commission 170 new and replacement ambulance vehicles as part of a rolling vehicle replacement program, critical to ensuring quality frontline ambulance services
• strengthened links between primary and acute care by providing a way for General Practitioners to have access to The Viewer—a read-only web-based application that displays clinical information—through the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2016
• released and commenced implementation of the government response to the six recommendations of the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry report.

Pursuing innovation

• provided $35 million over two financial years for the Integrated Care Innovation Fund to implement innovative projects that deliver better integration of care, address fragmentation in services and provide high-value healthcare
• announced the first 9 projects funded under the $25 million Queensland Genomic Health Alliance, helping to pioneer the integration of genomic based ‘personalised medicine’ into everyday healthcare in Queensland
• provided access to enhanced telehealth services and peer support and education for health professionals allowing rural, regional and remote patients to access specialist care closer to home—General Practitioners can refer patients electronically to local hospitals, and patient appointment bookings can be made online, providing greater flexibility and choice
• developed the Enterprise Discharge Summary—a computerised discharge summary to improve the way Queensland Health generates, manages and distributes discharge summaries
• implemented ieMR digital hospital solution in the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Mackay Base Hospital, the Townsville Hospital and Cairns Hospital, delivering a shared medical record across Queensland Health facilities—one patient, one record.

Building safe, caring and connected communities

• continued implementing a formal agreement with Health Consumers Queensland, valid through to June 2018 to support the active engagement of the community in how health services are designed and delivered
• established a Suicide Prevention Health Taskforce, a partnership between the Department of Health, HHSs, Primary Health Networks and people with lived experience
• established the Queensland Health Export and Investment Advisory Council, bringing together the private sector, research community, finance sector and health services to help facilitate the export of our health service expertise and attract investment to Queensland
• declared One William Street as Queensland’s first smoke-free government precinct on 1 September 2016, followed by a further six central business district precincts—41, 63 and 111 George Street, 30 and 61 Mary Street, and 33 Charlotte Street
• implemented a Meningococcal ACWY Vaccination Program, providing free meningococcal ACWY vaccines to all Year 10 students
• commenced the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Paramedic Cadet Program, promoting employment in Queensland’s communities, and enhancing ambulance service delivery
• released The burden of disease and injury in Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2017 (reference year 2011) report
• produced the Health and Wellbeing Strategic Framework 2017–2026, and associated Overweight and Obesity Prevention Strategy Smoking Prevention Strategy, and Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy and Performance Measurement Strategy, to guide the delivery of chronic disease risk factor prevention initiatives
• developed the Sun Safety Mass Gathering Guideline that the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) will use to design sun safe uniforms, shade creation and sunscreen provision for GC2018 staff, volunteers, participants and spectators
• commenced implementation of the $27 million My health for life diabetes and chronic disease prevention program in three HHS regions across Queensland
• funded Heart Foundation Walking and the 10,000 Steps programs, resulting in increased participation—Heart Foundation Walking recruited 1,357 new Queensland participants, 41 new walking groups and 12 new host organisations 
• introduced the Healthy Futures Commission Queensland Bill 2017 to establish the Healthy Futures Commission Queensland, supporting the capacity of children and families to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and contribute to reducing health inequity for children and families
• activated the State Health Emergency Coordination Centre for 19 days during Tropical Cyclone Debbie
• developed a statewide approach to paid hospital car parking by increasing concessions for disadvantaged patients
• convened a cross-sector Domestic and Family Violence Expert Advisory Group to develop a toolkit of resources for health professionals in response to recommendations made in the Not Now, Not Ever report
• continued implementation of trauma-informed practice across all youth justice operations
• supported engagement with nature, active lifestyles and wellbeing by hosting 1.35 million overnight camper stays on Queensland’s parks and forests
• completed consultation with industry, stakeholders and consumers on a wide range of reforms for inclusion in the Queensland Building Plan
• launched the Queensland Violence against Women Prevention Plan 2016–22, which includes actions to help prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence and harassment, stalking, honour crimes, human trafficking, forced and/or early marriage and technology-facilitated abuse
• provided funding support for structured sport and active recreation programs across 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland
• delivered the Get Going Clubs program, supporting sport and active recreation participation and building organisational capacity
• supported 77 state-level sport and recreation organisations in the delivery and development of sport and active recreation across Queensland
• continued the successful Join the Movement campaign, including the Start Playing, Stay Playing Excellence Awards
• launched the Embracing 2018 Healthy and Active Program, leveraging GC2018 to get more Queensland children and adults participating in sport and active lifestyles, including the:
• 10,000 Steps Games Venues Challenge
• $700,000 Get Out, Get Active grants program which funded 25 successful initiatives
• $500,000 Embracing 2018 Sports Grants Program, targeting state sporting organisations.

Read more about the Plan’s goals, targets and measures for health and wellbeing.