Better healthcare for Queenslanders
While the management and investigation of patient complaints is part of our role, we also proactively regulate and assess quality improvement in health services.
We do this by setting and monitoring leading practice standards. This is an Australian first.
By law, your local hospital or GP (and every other healthcare provider) must have reasonable processes in place to make their service better and safer.
We make sure providers are complying with their legal responsibility through our seven healthcare standards.
Our standards aim to improve your safety, specifically by:
- ensuring your provider is registered, qualified, well-supported and practising within their recognised ability
- ensuring all the information on a Cause of Death Certificate is a true reflection of what happened, by reviewing each and every hospital-related death
- ensuring heart attack patients receive the best possible long term care
- preventing surgical infections, incorrect surgery and blood clots
- reducing the spread of infection caused by practitioners not having clean hands
- making providers accountable and transparent when handling complaints.
What this means for you
By being aware of our standards, you are able to ask questions and take a more proactive role in your healthcare.
For instance, did you know that a surgeon should double check your name and where you are having surgery by asking you beforehand? This is just a simple example that, when our standard is not followed, can end in the wrong patient, or wrong body part being operated on.
Further reading