Adj. Prof. Jane Hancock, Chief Operating Officer

Over the past 8 weeks, the Department of Health has been working with both Metro North Health and Metro South Health on an impact assessment considering the temporary location options for the Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service (QSCIS). The impact assessment considered two options: temporarily relocating the QSCIS from the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) to the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) or QSCIS remaining at PAH with service and infrastructure changes.

Over 300 Metro North Health staff participated in the consultation. I thank those of you involved for sharing your time, expertise, and insights. The feedback you provided actively informed the decision.

Impact assessment outcome

After consideration of the impacts of both options on patients, families and staff together with an assessment of the acute care requirements needed to safely care for patients with acute spinal cord injuries, the Director-General has decided QSCIS will remain at PAH.

This decision was based on the feedback, with over 680 patients, consumers, families, Queensland Health staff and other stakeholders consulted throughout the impact assessment. The decision was made based on the following key points:

• Strong consumer, family and carer support for continuing operating the Spinal Injury Unit on the PAH campus.
• Strong clinical staff support for continuing operating the Spinal Injury Unit on the PAH campus.
• Existing integration of clinical staff into the PAH and existing clinical links with related specialty areas in PAH.
• The beds the Spinal Injury Unit would occupy in STARS are currently used. Moving the unit into these beds would reduce the overall number of available beds.
• There are existing collaborative assessment and pathway planning arrangements between the Spinal Injury Unit and MNHHS. These arrangements result in patients flowing through multiple hospitals across both HHSs and the Spinal Injury Unit in response to clinical need, thus operating as a clinical network that is working well.

Next steps

The Department of Health in collaboration with Metro South Health and patients, families and key stakeholders will now undertake implementation planning for service and infrastructure upgrades.

Queensland Health remains committed to providing world-leading, evidence-based, lifelong care for people with spinal cord injuries.

Clinical Planning and Service Strategy Division will continue to progress the codesigned planning for the future statewide service model for spinal cord injuries services in Queensland.

Health Capital Division will progress the detailed business case for a state-of-the-art spinal unit at PAH, informed by the service model and capacity projections.

Thank you

Thank you for all your contributions to the impact assessment. I’d like to acknowledge that the process and uncertainty about an outcome has been difficult for many of you, and I appreciate your patience, resilience and commitment to continuing to provide excellent care for your patients throughout a challenging time.

Special thanks to Leah Vegh and Maddison Muir who have led the internal engagement process over a short period, and to Dale Dally-Watkins and Kirsten Braun for their work.

Metro North are committed to providing ongoing support to STARS staff. If you need support please reach out to STARS Staff Psychologist Allison Welch (3647 6942 or Allison.welch@health.qld.gov.au), your line manager, or the Peer Responder Program  at STARS. Staff also have access to the Employee Assistance Program, Benestar (1300 360 364).

Warm regards,

Jane.