Plans to close Redlands’ Child Development Service and scale back Wynnum Health Service Centre to a satellite service could have significant impacts for Bayside residents.
Queensland Health is considering changes to delivery of its Child Development Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service with a reduction of service locations.
Closure of Child Development Services in the Redlands
The changes set out in a proposed business case intend the Child Development Service to be optimally configured and responsive to population health needs, changing service demand in the community setting, and no longer be based on historical locations, configurations and models of service delivery.
These important services can address complex cases where children may be suffering from multiple conditions. The services under threat are provided by a team of health professionals that include psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers and developmental paediatricians.
These services also assist families of children access the National Disability Insurance Scheme allowing them to seek government funding for intervention and relevant community services. Conditions include speech and language disorders, poor physical coordination skills, , social interaction difficulties, behavioural and learning problems, feeding difficulties, and autism spectrum disorders.
If the proposed changes are implemented, then families in the Redlands, including those on the Bay Islands, will need to travel to Queensland Children’s Hospital, or Logan Central for treatment. Families relying on public transport face the challenge of negotiating public transport with children suffering from a disability, physical or mental illness.
This creates disadvantage and negative long-term outcomes for clients.
Unlike the Logan district, Redlands and Wynnum have significantly less non-government support and referral agencies to clients to access, this will further disadvantage clients of the Redlands and Wynnum areas and create further disparity of health.
Business Case for changing the Child Development Service
The published business case for the proposed realignment of the Child Development Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service workforce and service locations is readily available.
The current Child Development Service workforce structure and service locations are based on historical service demand and staffing allocations. The structure has limited the ability of this service to be responsive to a changing environment including the introduction of a new model of service delivery, new digital systems and shifting population needs.
The 2017 project’s diagnostic report illuminated several limitations and challenges of the current state. These include:
- inconsistency and variability of clinical services delivered across service sites resulting in unequal service across catchments
- the requirement for families to be “transferred” between sites to compensate for resource limitations, in turn causing additional workloads and delays for families
- families with complex needs from areas of high vulnerability are required to travel the most distance to access the services they need.
Stakeholders were invited to provide feedback regarding the
business case by COB 5 March 2019.
The consultation process was not widely publicised. Anyone with concerns about the proposed changes should contact their state MP.
The issue will be discussed at the Redlands2030 public meeting on 28 March 2019.
Redlands2030 – 22 March 2019
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
3 Comments
How will this proposal benefit any of the families needing this service?
It won’t G Parmenter
The proposed closure of the Qld Health Child Development Services in the Redalnds will seriously disadvantage families with children and teenagers who have health conditions that need a multidisciplinary team approach by allied health professionals. The current services in the Redlands usually have a waiting list, so there is an obvious need for the services. Redlands is a long way by public transport, especially for those living on the islands, to Queensland Children’s Hospital and Logan Community Health, and to travel by car can incur expensive parking costs at these locations. With a growing population, it make no sense to reduce services, it makes a lot of sense to increase services and their acessability.