Module Scope
- Is the organisation a Queensland private hospital required to gain and maintain its accreditation and comply with its obligations to maintain a license to operate under the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme?
- Is the organisation is a Queensland public hospital required to gain and maintain its accreditation under the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme as a requirement of a service agreement with Queensland Department of Health?
- Is the hospital required to comply with obligations around workforce management with respect to health practitioners, minimum nurse-to-patient staff ratios, complying with the 10 National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and has it created procedures to deal with medical negligence complaints, notifiable conduct and investigations by external regulatory bodies?
Module Application
The QUEENSLAND HEALTHCARE module informs any entity providing healthcare in Queensland what their legal obligations are and what procedures and processes they should have in place to ensure compliance.
The QUEENSLAND HEALTHCARE module comprehensively covers a wide range of topics from these areas of healthcare provision;
- Administration;
- The treatment of patients;
- Provision of general health related services;
- Specific health conditions; and
- Allied health services.
Across all of these areas the primary obligations and regulations are related to licensing, qualifications and ensuring that procedures and processes are designed and maintained to achieve the best possible outcome for the health care recipient.
The specific questions and answers covered by the module are;
- What are the legal obligations and legal regulations?
- How do the obligations and regulations apply to different health service providers?
- What processes or procedures should be in place to ensure compliance?
- What are the consequences if the legal obligations and regulations are breached?
The administrative obligations and regulations covered by the module include;
- Licensing and agreement requirements of the Queensland Department of Health and the Hospital and Health Services (HHS) system;
- Requirements applying specifically to public and /or private hospitals;
- Ensuring that board members comply with their duties;
- Funding requirements of the Queensland Department of Health;
- Workforce management;
- Setting fees and charges in accordance with the Queensland Department of Health Fees and Charges register;
- Claiming benefits and obtaining financial consent when required;
- Ensuring the hospital is a safe work environment;
- Maintaining clinical records and management systems;
- Maintain confidentiality;
- Make appropriate and required notifications to authorities;
- Ensure that health research is conducted and disseminated in accordance with legal requirements; and
- Meeting minimum standards of care when providing specialist outpatient services.
The obligations and regulations relating to the treatment of patients that are covered by the module include;
- Complaints, investigations and notifications;
- Prevention and management of medical negligence;
- Personal injury claims;
- Medication management;
- Diseases and infection management;
- Assessment of patients’ capacity to make decisions;
- Children’s Medical Services and child protection;
- Perioperative services;
- Rehabilitation services; and
- Geriatric medicine and assessment.
The obligations and regulations relating to general health services that are covered by the module include;
- Ambulatory services;
- Medical imaging and Nuclear medicine;
- Pathology and blood management;
- Alcohol and drug dependency;
- Sexual health;
- Anaesthetics;
- Emergency services;
- Intensive care;
- Specialist medical services; and
- Mental health;
The obligations and regulations relating to specific health conditions or situations that are covered by the module include;
- Cancer;
- Perinatal care;
- Termination of pregnancy;
- Transplant and human tissue management;
- Reproductive technology; and
The obligations and regulations relating to allied health services that are covered by the module include;
- Nutrition and dietetics
- Occupational therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Speech pathology
- Social work
The QUEENSLAND HEALTHCARE module covers the role of the health services provider. The module does not cover the role or actions to be taken by patients or health care recipients in the event of a breach of regulations or obligations by a health care provider.