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Overview

The Health and Community Services Committee is monitoring the Department of Health’s implementation of the Auditor-General’s recommendations in the reports:

• Right of private practice in Queensland public hospitals (Report 1: 2013-14)
• Right of private practice: Senior medical officer conduct (Report 13: 2013-14)

 The Auditor-General’s reports were tabled on 11 July 2013 and 11 February 2014 and were referred to the committee for consideration on 6 August 2013 and 11 February 2014 respectively.

The performance audit considered whether the private practice arrangements are achieving their intended public health outcomes and are financially sustainable. In conducting the audit, the Queensland Audit Office pursued three lines of inquiry to determine if:

• the intended health and financial benefits of the scheme are being realised
• the scheme is being administered efficiently
• practitioners are participating in the scheme with probity and propriety and in full compliance with their contractual conditions.

Auditor-General's recommendations

Both of the Auditor-General’s reports made recommendations for implementation by the Department of Health and HHS to address systemic issues.

Examination of the reports

The committee will examine the implementation of the Auditor-General’s recommendations by the Department and HHSs to assess:

• whether the system issues are being adequately addressed, and
• whether related governance arrangements are appropriately implemented.

Report

On 4 December 2014, the Committee tabled its Report No. 62, Auditor-General Reports: Private practice arrangements in Queensland public hospitals. The report and related documents can be accessed under the 'Related Publications' tab.

The government provided an interim response on 4 March 2015, available here, and a full response on 4 June 2015, available here.