Dear Colleagues,

I would like to address one topic and provide an update on another. Regarding the latter, we are progressing well towards developing a leadership curriculum for our junior doctors. With the involvement of our Directors of Clinical Training we intend to deliver a program for those in post-graduate years 2 or 3 (PGY2/3) in a practical workshop format, with longitudinal training allowing for practice, reflection and enhanced practice (ideally ad infinitum as we are always learning). We are soon to contact our PGY2/3 doctors to ensure that the themes we have in mind are ones they would like to explore.

On the same topic, I had an engaging meeting with Professor Kirsty Foster, Director of the Office of Medical Education at the University of Queensland. We were aligned in our views that lifelong learning, sophisticated communication and compassion are critical attributes of our development as doctors. Transition from medical school to the ‘floor’ is never easy and cohesion between medical school and post-graduate training is desirable. Just as the foundations of medical skills, knowledge and professionalism are built upon in our prevocational years (and thenceforth), so should the foundations in personal development, agency and leadership. We look forward to keeping connected as we embark on our related journeys to promote seamless transition from medical school to the workforce and supporting all of us to meet our full potential.

Now to an emerging matter – that of budgetary constraints impacting our health service for the financial year 2021-22. The Department of Health, as you know, purchases our services annually. The current offer indicates that we will need to be more cost effective than we already are (as a health service we do rather well already). Taskforce 10 had been set-up to find opportunities to save $10 million in consumables in the next financial year. 24.8% of our budget goes to this component (the rest being labour). I was asked to lead Taskforce 10, comprising multi-disciplinary staff from across Metro North and we intend to hone in on where we can reduce waste to meet that goal. While it is true that savings can be made in how we procure and utilise materials, I wondered if we could also provide better care via this endeavour.

The idea of ‘less is more healthcare’ is not new, and it counters the phenomenon of ‘more must be better healthcare’. The reasons for the latter are many and not limited to fear of litigation, patient expectations and technology ‘creep’ (expanding the indications for new treatments to populations where the evidence is lacking). In a recent workshop of the Taskforce, one of our members mentioned it would be confronting for clinicians to hear that we could be practising better medicine. I agree it would be challenging, and even more so if it meant ‘doing less’. However, we already have examples of ‘less is more healthcare’ in ‘de-prescribing’ and in many instances of ‘antimicrobial stewardship’.

In these examples ‘less healthcare’ lead to better quality. Similarly, as stewards of many other health resources my lens will be directed to ways in which Taskforce 10 could facilitate better care and lead to less waste. No doubt these will be guided by evidence and equally importantly, by patients’ views.

I welcome any questions or comments regarding either of the matters above. Please email me directly at alex.chaudhuri@health.qld.gov.au.

Your thoughts would help us create the best possible solutions.

Best wishes,

Alex