2017–18 Activity Statement—Health and Wellbeing

Keeping Queenslanders healthy is a key objective of the Queensland Government. Good health improves life satisfaction and allows people to enjoy a productive and active lifestyle, so it is important that Queenslanders have both healthy bodies and healthy minds.

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 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 2017–18, the Queensland Government:

Promoting wellbeing and preventative health initiatives

• delivered the Health and Wellbeing Strategic Framework 2017–2026 and continued implementation of priority actions under its associated overweight and obesity prevention strategy, smoking prevention strategy, and skin cancer prevention strategy
• provided 31,488 smoking cessation interactions through Quitline, including 6607 referrals from health professionals, and engaged 432 new clients via Quitline’s Yarn to Quit program for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• released the Queensland Health Immunisation Strategy 2017–2022 focusing on childhood immunisation, adolescents and people with specific vaccination needs
• followed up 1823 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were overdue for vaccinations under the Bubba Jabs on Time initiative
• distributed 600 Pepi-Pods for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to improve safe sleeping practices
• implemented the First 1000 Days Australia initiative in Moreton Bay and Townsville aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
• continued delivery of a range of Get in the Game programs (totalling $42 million since 1 July 2017) to support places, spaces and participation in sport and active recreation delivered by local or regional sport and recreation organisations and local government
• delivered the Start Playing Stay Playing Awards for 2017 acknowledging female achievements in the sport and active recreation industry and individuals, groups or organisations going above and beyond to increase and enhance sport and active recreation opportunities for women and girls in Queensland
• delivered more than $2.3 million in grants through the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) Healthy and Active Legacy programs focused on increasing the participation by women and girls in sport and active recreation as well as assisting councils to deliver low-cost, accessible programs and events in local parks, beaches, halls and fields
• a portion of the grants were provided specifically for creating sport and fitness opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• delivered three Sport and Recreation conferences (What’s Your Next Move?) during May 2018 in Brisbane, Mackay and Cairns, aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of community sport and recreation workforce professionals and volunteers, attracting over 330 attendees
• implemented the Our People Matter strategy which focuses on the health, safety and wellbeing of all QPS employees (over 15,000) and their families, through initiatives, strategies and events including workplace champions, health expos, mental health training workshops and vaccine programs
• provided sponsored membership for youth in 38 PCYC operated gyms, with key programs including boxing and gymnastics delivered for 15,000 participants annually
• delivered a number of targeted programs at PCYCs including Rise Up Be Yourself (RUBY), a health and mentoring program for domestic violence victims, at 33 PCYCs; Get Activated (Seniors program) at 11 PCYCs; and Channelling Healthy Aggression Mentoring Program (CHAMP) at 15 PCYC sites
• released the Queensland Cycling Strategy 2017–2027 on 24 August 2017

Delivering healthcare frontline services

• delivered 150 new and replacement ambulance vehicles, including the further rollout of power assisted stretchers
• implemented the Endoscopy Action Plan, delivering approximately 10,000 additional endoscopies to meet increasing demand across Queensland
• invested $50 million in service enhancements across the State to more effectively respond to individuals with the most severe mental illness or substance misuse
• provided $187.5 million for the delivery of public oral health services

Delivering connected services with a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach

• invested more than $100 million to enhance targeted services and improve efforts to close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• worked in partnership with discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, identifying strategies to reduce supply of, and demand for, alcohol and reduce alcohol misuse and harm
• supported community residents to seek Dry Place Declarations and encouraged service providers to assist residents to consider the option
• dry places are houses where no alcohol is allowed and are available in Mossman Gorge, Coen, and all discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• provided recurrent funding of $3.5 million for the Tackling Regional Adversity through Integrated Care program, which assists people in drought and disaster affected communities through integrated care, promoting mental health literacy, training of frontline staff and improved referral pathways
• continued implementation of Connecting Care to Recovery 2016–2021: A plan for Queensland’s State-funded mental health, alcohol and other drug services to develop a range of service models across the care continuum, particularly for community treatment and community support
• expanded the capacity and increased the usage of telehealth—the delivery of health services and information using telecommunication technology—with outpatient telehealth service events across Queensland increasing 40% on average each year since 2013–2014
• delivered the Mental Health Demonstration Project, in Chermside and Fortitude Valley Housing Service Centres to support social housing tenants with mental ill health to sustain their tenancies through access to timely and integrated support services, with 67 social housing tenants referred to the project
• developed the Action on Ice whole-of-government action plan, to address the use and harms associated with crystal methamphetamine
• committed more than $100 million over five years to the three initiatives of the Action on Ice action plan, to reduce the supply, demand and harm of crystal methamphetamine use on individuals, families and communities in Queensland
• worked closely with Alzheimer’s Queensland and Dementia Australia supporting the elderly and persons affected by Alzheimer’s and/or dementia within the community through the Safely Home project
• presented 20 three-day sessions on mental health first aid training to 300 members of the Yarrabah Community, as part of the Strong Minds project, in conjunction with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the project also being rolled out in Kowanyama

Supporting innovation in the sector

• launched the Digital Innovation Strategy, an approach to systematically embracing and supporting digital innovation to drive a revolutionised healthcare system
• commenced delivery of the Integrated Referral Management System solution that will support a seamless integration from general practice to outpatient services, changing the way health services communicate and interact with primary healthcare providers
• awarded funding through the Advance Queensland SBIR program to develop and test real-time, personal dust monitors which will help underground coal workers monitor their exposure to respirable coal dust
• established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Torch High Technology Industry Development Centre, China Ministry of Science and Technology to facilitate investment and increase development in the health and life sciences sector
• provided regulatory certainty for proponents of new research through the administration of the Gene Technology (Queensland) Act 2016 and Biodiscovery Act 2004.