History of Queensland Health (Public Health Service)

History of Queensland Health (Public Health Service)

History of Queensland Health (Public Health Service)Queensland Health is the department of the Government of Queensland responsible for operating and administering the public health system of the Australian State of Queensland. It is responsible to the State's Health Minister Geoff Wilson and its Director-General is Tony O'Connell.

Queensland Health was restructured toward the end of 2005 from 38 "health districts" to 20. There were a number consolidations particularly in the urban areas with the formation of the "Northside" and "Southside" Districts. Northside District included 3 major hospital facilities including The Prince Charles, Redcliffe and Caboolture Hospitals while Southside brought the Logan, Redlands, Beaudesert and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospitals together. Somewhat strangely one large facility lay within the geographic boundaries of both Northside and Southside but remained independent entities or Districts in their own right. Within Northside lay the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) and on Southside lay the Princess Alexandra Hospital or regional centre.

From September 2008 the 20 health service districts were further reduced to 15. According to a Queensland Health media release[1], 9 districts remain unchanged. They are: Central Queensland, Townsville, Mackay, Cairns, Torres Strait, Cape York, Mount Isa, Central West and South West Districts. 6 new districts were created. They are:

  • Darling Downs-West Moreton incorporating the former Toowoomba and Darling Downs and West Moreton South Burnett districts.
  • Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay incorporating the Sunshine Coast - Cooloola, Wide Bay and Fraser Coast health service districts.
  • Metro South incorporates the Southside Health Service District and Princess Alexandra Hospital.
  • Metro North incorporates the Northside Health Service District and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
  • Children’s Health Services, will oversee the implementation of a Statewide paediatric service.

Queensland Health has approximately 75,000 employees across the state.

In the mid-1940s Queensland was the first state in Australia to introduce free and universal public hospital treatment, a policy that some other states followed.
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