Queensland Clinical Senate

Always a pleasure to host our interstate Senate Chairs! A/Prof Marcus Skinner is the Co-Chair of the Tasmanian Health Senate and joined us at our 'Transforming Flow' meeting last month. The Tasmanian Health Senate is relatively new and Marcus took the opportunity to learn from our 15 years of running a Clinical Senate here in Queensland. Thanks for joining us, Marcus!

Photo: A/Prof Marcus Skinner with Queensland Clinical Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly.


of Health, Tasmania

Leia Barnes is one of only a handful of consultant vestibular physiotherapists in Australia and is passionate about the world of ‘dizziness and balance’. So when a call for ideas to reduce pressures on the Emergency Department came across her desk, Leia came up with ‘Dial a Dizzy’, a telehealth hotline to help clinicians across Queensland diagnose and treat vertigo. Dial a Dizzy gives patients the right care, at the right time in the right place - allowing them to get back to their normal life with just one or two short treatments. Dial a Dizzy is now supporting 19 hospitals – and growing - across Queensland.

Listen now at one of the links below:

Spotify: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/xJa55lPIILb

Apple podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/interviews-from-the-frontline/id1482747075

Metro South Health

A Senate meeting isn’t a Senate meeting without the involvement of consumers. A huge thank you to our consumers for sharing your stories, for your engagement and your vital contribution at the Senate’s ‘Transforming flow’ meeting this week. Thank you Health Consumers Queensland

Photo: Consumer representatives at the Senate meeting today.

It’s a full house this morning for today’s session of the Senate’s ‘Transforming flow’ meeting in Brisbane. Today we’ll be getting down to business with delegates working on identifying the barriers and enablers to improving the patient journey out of the emergency department to a ward, or out of the hospital to their home or their next care setting. All of the work – ideas, suggestions, recommendations – from our delegates is critical in informing a set of recommendations that the Senate will make to Queensland Health. Stay tuned for the release of these recommendations in the coming months.

As we kick off our 'Transforming Flow' meeting exploring how we can transform the patient journey from the emergency department, into the wards, and beyond, we thank all of the clinicians, consumers and healthcare leaders who have joined us, along with our speakers and panel members.

Tonight we will hear from Clara Lubbers, Director Digital and Service Design, Australian Department of Health; Prof Clair Sullivan, Clinical Informatics Director - Research Lead, Metro North Hospital and Health Service; Julie Allen, First Nations Senior Health Worker, RBWH Emergency and Trauma Centre, Metro North Hospital and Health Service; Dr Liz Crowe, Staff Wellbeing Specialist, RBWH, Metro North Hospital and Health Service; and Georgia Railton-Stewart, Healthcare Consumer Representative.

Photo (Left to Right): Deputy Director-General Clinical Excellence Queensland Dr Helen Brown, Consumer representative Georgia Railton-Stewart, Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly, Clara Lubbers, Director Digital and Service Design, Australian Department of Health, Senate Deputy Chair Dr Kate Johnston, A/Prof Jeffrey Rowland, Co-Chair, Queensland General Medicine Clinical Network.

Health Consumers Queensland

Our agenda for this Thursday and Friday’s meeting is locked in and we’re excited to hear from a line-up of exceptional speakers about how we can transform the patient journey from the emergency department, into the wards, and beyond, with a focus on the downstream aspects for patient flow.

Among our speakers for the 18-19 July meeting in Brisbane are:

Professor Elizabeth Kendall, Griffith University
Professor Ian Scott, Immediate Past Chair, Queensland Clinical Networks Executive
Ms Clara Lubbers, Director Digital and Service Design, Australian Department of Health
Tess Symes, Indigenous Health Leadership Team, Metro North Hospital and Health Service
Karin Swift, Queenslanders with a Disability Network
Professor Clair Sullivan, Clinical Informatics Director, Metro North Hospital and Health Service
Dr Liz Crowe, Staff Wellbeing Officer, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Importantly, we will also hear from a number of consumers about what is important to them in their patient experience.

We look forward to hearing from all of our speakers about what programs are working at their hospital and health service to improve the patient journey.

Our clinicians, consumers and healthcare leaders will then work to identify the changes we need to make within Queensland Health and the broader healthcare system to improve the journey for our patients and the experience for clinicians.

Improving the patient journey through the hospital system and beyond is the focus of the upcoming Senate meeting on July 18-19.

Clinicians, consumers, and healthcare leaders will come together to explore three areas of patient flow, focusing on the pathways downstream from the Emergency Department:
* Moving from the emergency department to the inpatient setting
* Moving from the inpatient setting to home, with supports such as hospital in the home; and
* Moving from the inpatient setting to other places of residence, e.g. residential aged care facilities.

We look forward to welcoming our members and invited guests to this important meeting.

Professor Ian Scott has been a wonderful supporter of the Queensland Clinical Senate for many years. His contribution as a member of the Senate Executive, on various organising committees and at our meetings, has been incredibly valuable. As Ian steps down from his many commitments, including as Director of Internal Medicine at the PAH, Chair of the Queensland Clinical Networks’ Executive and as a member of the Senate Executive, we extend a heartfelt thank you for his contribution and support of the Senate and wish Ian all the very best for this next chapter.

Longstanding consultant general physician Professor Ian Scott has made remarkable contributions to his field since taking on the role of inaugural Director of Internal Medicine at the PA Hospital in 1996.

He was tasked with building the unit from the ground up, and after nearly 30 years, is now preparing to bid farewell to a role that’s changed significantly since its inception.

“Originally, the department was assigned around 60 to 70 beds, but that has grown to 120 beds in 2024 and we average 110 to 120 admissions a week. We now have six consultants with up to 10 advanced trainee registrars rotating through the year."

Prof Scott is stepping down from his PAH Director role at the end of June, but will be taking up a part time appointment with Metro South's Digital Health and Informatics team to continue working on various projects.

He's looking forward to having more time on his hands to enjoy the things he loves, including spending time with family, travelling, and hiking.

“It’ll also be nice to indulge in a bit of recreational reading of books that are non-medical,” he said.

While this chapter of Prof Scott’s career is coming to a close, there are no doubts he leaves a legacy of dedication and expertise within the walls of the PA Hospital and beyond. 👏

Jenny Timor has worked with some of the most vulnerable people in her community, from First Nations youth detained in the police watch-house to people living on the streets. And now as Coordinator of the Indigenous Youth Team for the Mackay Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service, Jenny is working with young people experiencing severe turmoil who are 'running to stand still'. We spoke with Jenny about her work, how her mum has influenced her life, and what she wants people to know during this National Reconciliation Week.

Listen to Jenny's interview at one of the links below:

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/jenny-timor-indigenous-youth-team-coordinator/id1482747075?i=1000657149492

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kpYo8BjZtijuLVyIqq3n3?si=a78ca0a0112a411c

On this International Nurses Day (IND), we want to thank and recognise all nurses across Queensland for their vital contribution and impact on Queenslanders and our health system. IND is recognised each year on 12 May, which is the birthdate of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. It's a day to not only be recognised for your critical role, but for you, as a nurse, to take a moment to celebrate being part of such a wonderful profession.

THANK YOU



Pics 1-4: Nursing staff from Gold Coast Health.

Pic 5: Lorina and Naomi from Longreach Hospital.

Pic 6: Barcaldine nurses Kate, Lynda, Melissa, Jacqueline & Gabrielle.

Pic 7: Central West HHS nurses (back row) Suzy, Karlee, Louise, Simone, Louise, Annie, Carol, Joyce and Frances. (Front row) Samantha, Darcie, Naomi, Katie, Madeline, Alinta.

Wishing all of our midwifery colleagues across Queensland a very happy International Midwives Day! Your contribution to the work of the Senate, the healthcare system and the care you provide to our patients deserves the greatest thanks and recognition.

Photo 1: Central West Hospital and Health Service maternity team Eloise, Hayley, Louise, Amanda, and Kerry.

Photo 2: Gold Coast Health Midwives - Annabelle, Caroline and Savannah.

Dr Lachlan McIver grew up in the small rural Queensland town of Millaa Millaa. A family tragedy led him to a career in medicine, and medicine has since taken him on a journey from working in Queensland hospitals to some of the most remote and underprivileged countries around the world. Lachlan is now in Geneva as the Tropical Diseases and Planetary Health Advisor for Doctors Without Borders. We spoke with Lachlan about his journey from Millaa Millaa to Switzerland, and, on the back of the Senate’s climate change meeting in November, about his drive to make a difference to climate change and the impact it is having on human health.

You can listen now at one of the links below:
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6m2CR5VLwLaf9Lf32CqKQV?si=pdS-dXz_T9mj7rHvmLzCbw

Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/dr-lachlan-mciver-rural-generalist-and-public-health/id1482747075?i=1000653998681

From the Senate Executive Team, we wish all of our colleagues and their families a very safe and Merry Christmas. We thank you for your support throughout 2023 and look forward to working with you again in the New Year. May 2024 be a year of great health and happiness, clinician leadership and consumer collaboration, always for better care for our community. 🎄

At the end of a very productive year for the Senate, we are pleased to share an update on our work for 2023. Click on the link below to read a message from the Senate Chair, Dr Tanya Kelly, updates on our past three meetings, links to our podcast episodes and more.

https://sway.office.com/qvKgO6bA1nKhMaF8?ref=Link&loc=play

The Senate is looking for clinician leaders to join its Executive Team. Expressions of interest are now open for three vacancies covering metropolitan, regional, and rural and remote areas of Queensland.

The metropolitan and rural and remote positions are open to representatives from nursing and midwifery, allied health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare professionals. While the regional representative is open to EOIs from all clinical disciplines.

Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly encouraged interested clinicians to apply.

"As a member of the Senate Executive, you have the opportunity to participate and influence from a statewide perspective," she said. "It is a great opportunity to expand your opportunities and contribute on a wider scale, to improving healthcare for our community."

Successful candidates will be well-respected clinicians with the capacity to influence across the sector. Membership of the QCSE is not limited to Queensland Health clinicians, however an understanding of Queensland Health is required.

If you'd like to find out more, including how to apply, please email Ian on [email protected]

EOIs are due by 9am on Monday, 15 January 2024.

Sepsis is a global health emergency. And diagnosing it is like 'trying to find a needle in a haystack', according to Intensive Care Physician and Digital Sepsis Clinical Lead for Clinical Excellence Queensland, Dr Paul Lane. But Paul is hoping to change that with the help of artificial intelligence. Paul is leading a team that is developing an artificial intelligence model that could support doctors to predict sepsis and diagnose it earlier. The Senate spoke with Paul about his work and his stellar career. Listen now at one of the links below:

Apple:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/interviews-from-the-frontline/id1482747075

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1hGIqGszKy2Xx0m5eW5OEB?si=f95c8204dcf64fa3

The Australian Government has released its National Health and Climate Strategy. The strategy sets out a whole-of-government plan to address the health and wellbeing impacts of climate change and address the contribution of the health system to climate change.

Yesterday’s strategy release is timely and comes less than 4 weeks after the Clinical Senate hosted more than 150 clinicians, senior leaders and clinicians to talk about climate change and healthcare. The recommendations from the meeting will be released in early 2024.

Click below to access the document.

National Health and Climate Strategy The National Health and Climate Strategy sets out a whole-of-government plan to address the health and wellbeing impacts of climate change and address the contribution of the health system to climate change. It was released on 3 December 2023.

At this morning’s session of our ‘A climate for change in healthcare’ meeting, we focused on the impact of climate change on health and healthcare.

Among our speakers was A/Prof Krispin Hajkowicz (pictured), Infectious Diseases specialist, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, who spoke (via videoconference) about the climate sensitive health risks for infectious disease.

We also learned about how climate change will impact demand on health services and the implications on children’s health.

Looking forward to another great session this afternoon!

As we kick off a day and a half of discussions about climate change and healthcare, we thank all of the clinicians, consumers and healthcare leaders who have joined us, along with our speakers and panel members.

Among our speakers tonight, are Professor Tony Capon, Director, Monash Sustainable Development Institute & Professor of Planetary Health, Monash University, about the case for focusing on climate change. And we will hear from Lynda Maybanks, Wirrinyah First Nations Conservation Services, about the First Nations connection to land and sustainability.

We will also hear from a consumer about why healthcare needs to address and respond to climate change, and a clinician about building environmental resilience in the workforce. Plus, much more!

Photo: Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly, Lynda Maybanks, Wirrinyah First Nations Conservation Services, Professor Tony Capon, Monash University, Janette Moore, Consumer Representative, and Senate Deputy Chair, Dr Kate Johnston.

We've locked in a great line up of speakers for our upcoming meeting, 'A climate for change in healthcare'.

Among our speakers for our 9-10 November meeting are:
(pictured left to right)
*.Professor Tony Capon, Director of Monash Sustainable Development Institute
* Dr Forbes McGain, Anaesthetist and Associate Dean, Healthcare Sustainability, University of Melbourne
* A/Prof Krispin Hajkowicz, Infectious Diseases Physician, Queensland Health and University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research
* Professor Jean Palutikof, Climate Scientist, Griffith University
* Dr Ramsey Awad, Executive Director Infrastructure, Planning & Sustainability, NSW Health
* A/Prof Katy Bell, Clinical epidemiologist and health services researcher, School of Public Health, University of Sydney

We look forward to hearing from our speakers about how healthcare systems contribute to climate change and the impact of climate change on health and healthcare, and what other jurisdiction are doing to reduce emissions.

Our clinicians, consumers and healthcare leaders will then work to identify the changes we need to make within the Queensland Health system to meet Government emissions targets.

The Queensland Clinical Senate will turn its attention to climate change and healthcare for its final meeting of 2023. ‘A climate for change in healthcare’ will be held on 9-10 November in Brisbane.

Clinicians, consumers and healthcare leaders will explore how the healthcare system contributes to climate change as well as the impact of climate change on health and healthcare.

The Queensland Government has, by 2030, committed to reducing its impact on climate change, by generating 50 percent of electricity from renewable energy and reducing emissions by at least 30 percent below 2005 levels, and to achieving zero net emissions by 2050.

As a healthcare system, we need to build on the excellent work that is already happening (and will be showcased at the meeting) to further reduce our impact on climate change and meet these requirements. We know that the benefits of change in this space take time: the positive steps we take now will matter not only for us, but also for future generations.

Senate Chair Dr Tanya Kelly presented at the Health Roundtable Reimagining the Complex Patient Journey Event at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre this week. It was an opportunity to share our learnings from the Queensland Clinical Senate Reimaging Healthcare Series, to build on the thinking in this space. Great to see the strong consumer focus. Well done Health Roundtable.

Tomorrow is International Allied Health Professions Day and we're celebrating the important role allied health professionals play in people's health and wellbeing.

Allied health professionals throughout Queensland and Australia represent a significant proportion of the health workforce providing care in a diverse range of locations inclusive of public, private and primary care settings.

The theme for this year is ‘Stronger together’, highlighting the benefits of interdisciplinary team-based care, centred around patient needs.

Photo: Celebrating Allied Health Professions Day are (L to R) Kristy Perkins, Director Allied Health Logan and Beaudesert, Kellie Stockton, Executive Director Allied Health Metro South Health and Queensland Clinical Senate Executive member, and Liza-Jane McBride, Chief Allied Health Officer, Queensland Health.

The first 2000 days are a critical window of opportunity and that’s why we are so thrilled to release our recommendations and report for the ‘First 2000 Days: The opportunity of a lifetime’ meeting.

Our recommendations are broad ranging and focus on the key priorities within the First 2000 Days that will:
• have the greatest preventive impact on overall health outcomes throughout a lifetime
• provide the greatest benefit in terms of health system sustainability and,
• improve equity of healthcare access and outcomes.

We have the opportunity to make change and help our children to reach their potential. It IS the opportunity of a lifetime.

Click this link to read the recommendations and report: https://clinicalexcellence.qld.gov.au/priority-areas/clinician-engagement/queensland-clinical-senate/meetings/first-2000-days

We are delighted to announce Dr Kate Johnston as the newly appointed Deputy Chair of the Queensland Clinical Senate. Kate is a GP and Medical Director of GP Partnerships and Engagement at Gold Coast Health. She has more than 25 years of experience as a clinician working across the public health sector and in primary care, in addition to educational, academic and management roles. Kate looks forward to working with clinicians, consumers and partners to optimise the healthcare system for all Queenslanders.

Kate will replace Adj Prof Chris Raftery, who was appointed inaugural Deputy Chair of the Senate in May 2019. We sincerely thank Chris for his commitment and outstanding contribution to the Senate during his time as Deputy Chair and welcome Kate to the role.

On this 'R U OK?' Day, take a moment to check in on your own health and, if you're feeling ok, reach out to a friend, loved one or colleague you've been worried about and ask, 'R U OK?'

One conversation could change a life.

www.ruok.org.au

What do you get when you cross a physiotherapist with an Olympic long jumper? Find out in the latest episode of our podcast series, 'Interviews from the Frontline'. In this episode we speak with former Olympic long jumper and Director of Physiotherapy at Children's Health Queensland, Bronwyn Thompson. Bronwyn shares the highs and lows of her stellar athletics career and how it helps her as a physiotherapist and leader. Listen now at:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/interviews-from-the-frontline/id1482747075

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1hGIqGszKy2Xx0m5eW5OEB?si=5c1ee6ee12ad4707

Congratulations to our clinical colleague Professor Kelvin Kong who has won the 2023 National NAIDOC Person of the Year Award!

Kelvin is an ENT surgeon from the Hunter Valley and is at the forefront of medical innovation. In this interview with ABC Conversations, the proud Worimi man talks about his work and how 'by tending to untreated ear disease in children, he can change the entire trajectory of their lives'.

Best of 2022 — Kelvin Kong - ABC Radio Professor Kelvin Kong is one of Australia's leading ENT surgeons. The proud Worimi man changes the course of children's lives by looking inside their ears (R)

The impact the first 2000 days of life can have on a child’s future is profound. Many of the health outcomes throughout life can be traced back to our early lives.

This was the focus of the Senate’s last meeting for 2022.
As we prepare to release our recommendations, we are delighted to share with you our Chair’s most recent column in the AMAQ’s flagship magazine, Dr Q, in which she talks about why we need to make the first 2000 days a priority. Click on the image to have a read.