CQ Health annual report 2020-21, wages for hospital executives and board members

A new report has revealed how much Covid 19 has cost Central Queensland’s hospitals and health services, the struggle to recruit key staff, and how much our top executives are now getting paid.

Fever clinics, the vaccination program and other COVID-19 related expenses have cost the Central Queensland and Hospital Health Service (CQ Health) more $6.5 million in the past financial year.

CQ Health is responsible for six hospitals including Biloela, Capricorn Coast, Emerald, Gladstone, Moura and Rockhampton, nine multipurpose health services at Baralaba, Blackwater, Mount Morgan, Springsure, Theodore and Woorabinda, outpatient clinics at Capella, Gemfields and Tieri and aged care facilities at North Rockhampton Nursing Centre and Eventide Nursing Home.

The figures in this article are for the whole of CQ Health and its associated facilities, for the financial year from June 30, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

CQ Health reported an operating loss of $2.701 million in revenue from COVID-19, and non-COVID-19 clinical activity increased, creating more costs.

In labour costs, COVID-19 could be attributed to $6.613 million for servicing fever clinics, establishing vaccination programs and other associated labour and $3.378 million in non-labour expenditure.

In the financial year prior, the COVID-19 labour cost was $3.699 million.

CQ Health received $9.991 million from the Australian Government as a reimbursement of the costs and an additional $1 million for the vaccination program.

COVID-19 fever clinic at Blackwater Rodeo Grounds

CQ Health has struggled to recruit permanent clinical staff, particularly with no international candidates, and this caused a significant rise in premium costs for using locums and agency nursing staff.

The average wait time for elective surgery was 55 days, compared to 49 days in 2019-20 and 59 days in 2018-19.

Non-urgent elective surgery was temporarily suspended in 2019-20 and this put pressure on the system for the following year.

Placements for 743 student nurses and midwives were supported, equating to 99,784 hours, along with 4,640 hours of re-entry nursing placement and 120 hours to Queensland Ambulance Service.

The education team assisted in the pandemic response including fit testing, ventilation education, resources for fever and vaccination clinics and supported in aged care services.

A total of 89 graduate nurses and midwives were employed.

In the legal department, CQ Health received 30 claims for insurance and as of June 30, 2021 there were three medical indemnity cases filed in the Supreme Court and one in the District Court against CQ Health.

A total of eight complaints were referred to Human Rights and all of the complaints were investigated and closed.

Funding has been confirmed for the following future projects:

• $5.7 million of a $16.3 million project to deliver the 42-bed residential rehabilitation and treatment facility

• $3.5 million of a $7.2 million project to deliver 8 residential aged care beds at Moura

• $2 million out of a $12.5 million project to increase the number of aged care beds from 4 to 14, construct a new kitchen and upgrade laundry facilities at Woorabinda

• $2.4 million out of a $18.2 million project to deliver a cardiac theatre in Central Queensland

• $2.8 million out of a $5.8 million project to refurbish the mental health facility at Rockhampton

CQ Health statistics and tables for 2020-21 financial year

Patient numbers:

Acute Inpatients: 48,941

Outpatients: 15,689

Sub-acute: 5,607

Emergency Department: 17,916

Mental Health: 4,846

Prevention and Primary Care: 2,724

Staff numbers:

Medical staff: 376 in 2020-21, compared to 343 in 2019-20

Nursing staff: 1,604 in 2020-21, compared to 1,498 in 2019-20

Allied health staff: 431 in 2020-21, compared to 324 in 2019-20

Person identifying as First Nations: 115 in 2020-21, compared to 108 in 2019-20

CQHHS board wages:

Chair Paul Bell: $98,000

Deputy chair Lisa Caffery $48,000

Dr Poya Sobhanian: $55,000

Dr Anna Vanderstaay: $55,000

Tina Zawila: $47,0000

Leann Wilson: $44,000

Matthew Cooke: $44,000

Cr Andrew Ireland: $48,000 (was on Board from May 17 2019 to May 17 2021)

John Abbott: $6,000

Key management personnel remuneration:

Steve Williamson: Health Service Chief Executive: $398,000

Colin Weeks: Chief Finance Office, Assets and Commercial Services: $227,000

Julianne Graham (until February 12, 2021), Jennifer King (until May 13, 2021): Executive Director, Medical Service Central Queensland: $486,000

Kerrie-Anne Franks: Executive Director, Rockhampton Hospital: $225,000

Sandraleee Munro: Executive Director, Gladstone and rural: $295,000

Susan Foyle (Acting): Executive Director, Nursing, Midwifery, Quality and Safety: $297,000

Shareen McMillan: Executive Director Workforce: $220,000

Sharni Tippett (until February 15, 2021), Ms Linda Medlin: Director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing: $240,000