The Queensland Gastroenterology Clinical Network was established in 2017 to improve the care and outcomes of patients with GI tract conditions.
The steering committee consists of medical officers, nurses, allied health professionals, a general practitioner and a consumer representative. Membership is refreshed every two years through an expression of interest process. The Queensland Gastroenterology Clinical Network also has working groups developed to progress specific priorities under the leadership of the steering committee they include Endoscopy, Workforce, Luminal, Liver and Pancreatic, and Data.
The role of the network
- Provide high level strategic advice to the Department of Health, HHSs and other networks in relation to gastroenterology service planning and emerging issues at local, statewide and national levels
- Identify and drive initiatives to improve the quality, safety and effectiveness of gastroenterology care in Queensland
- Foster education and research in gastroenterology developing best practice guidelines
- Engage, and collaborate with other relevant clinical networks
- Develop an open and supportive environment for clinicians and consumers in relation to gastroenterology care in Queensland
- Strategically align with the Clinical Excellence Division's priority areas for improvement
Current priorities
Implementing The Endoscopy Action Plan - Advancing health: Improving the patient journey.
The purpose of the Endoscopy Action Plan is to improve the health of Queenslanders by delivering sustainable, equitable access to high quality gastrointestinal endoscopy services.
In short this will be achieved under five key action areas:
- Action 1: Expand services - Frontline services will be expanded to deliver 50,000 more procedures over four years. This will significantly reduce the number of people waiting longer than clinically recommended.
- Action 2: Increase access - Training to equip rural generalists will expand to increase access to local services in regional and remote areas. This will help reduce the proportion of Queenslanders travelling significant distances to access gastrointestinal endoscopy services.
- Action 3: Promote equity - We will invest in clinical leaders to coordinate the consistent application of clinical guidelines across the state. This will help ensure there is equitable access to services, regardless of where a person receives their treatment.
- Action 4: Focus on outcomes - Information systems will be enhanced to deliver better quality information to ensure good, high quality, healthcare is provided at the right time.
- Action 5: Improve the system - Beyond improving the timeliness and equity of access to endoscopy services for patients, we will innovate in key areas of the patient’s journey to ensure the long term sustainability of services.
Contact us
Email: QldGastroNetwork@health.qld.gov.au
Phone: +61 7 3328 9175
Postal Address: GPO Box 48, Brisbane 4001
