Queensland Health fraud allegations; restructure announcement - QNU up-date 1
Published: 19 December 2011
Allegations that a Queensland Health employee might have defrauded the department, and consequently the Queensland Government, of around $16 million have shocked and upset nurses and midwives around the State, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) said today.
QNU secretary, Beth Mohle, said the allegations are very upsetting for frontline nurses, midwives and other clinicians, as money is always tight in the health system and every cent is needed to deliver quality care to the Queensland people.
“Nurses and midwives are also distressed because the allegations further damage the reputation of their employer, which has been tainted by the ongoing payroll-system implementation debacle and the failure of managers, a few years ago, to heed the warnings of a whistleblower nurse about a rogue doctor at Bundaberg Base Hospital.
“However, it is important to remember these theft allegations, if proven, involve criminal behaviour that any organisation could fall victim to. The issues remain to be fully investigated and tested in a court of law. Queensland Health is not the first organisation in the world to fall victim to employee theft, if that is what is eventually proved did happen.
“The broader issue of Queensland Health’s culture is another matter and, in many respects, not really related to this alleged criminal behaviour.
“However, now is as good a time as any to confront the broader governance and structural problems within Queensland Health, which make life difficult for nurses and midwives. Queensland Health’s frontline staff and the Queensland people deserve greater accountability from their health system.
“The decision to split Queensland Health is not altogether new, as national health reform was moving funding and governance in that direction anyway. The QNU is seeking more details on yesterday’s announcement and we have, this morning, sought an urgent meeting with Shane Solomon before Christmas.
“The QNU will be pointing out to him that the fundamental reason for the poor workplace culture at Queensland Health is entrenched power imbalances in the department. That is, imbalances between clinicians and between clinicians and support functions, such as finance and human resources. For example, Nurse Unit Managers and other nursing and midwifery leaders have significant problems getting sign off on their budgets, so they can deliver health care.
“Nursing and midwifery leaders need greater budgetary authority, within appropriate governance arrangements of course. The focus must be on power sharing in the new structure, which gives authority and a greater voice to those who are actually delivering Queensland Health’s core business – patient care.
“That will be the test of whether this break up of Queensland Health actually works,” Ms Mohle said.
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