Dr Rachelle Pitt1, Mr Adrian Powlesland1, Ms Liza-Jane McBride1
1Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer, Queensland Health, Herston, Australia
Biography:
Rachelle is a Speech Pathologist and healthcare leader committed to promoting equitable health outcomes for patients, consumers and their families and equal access to workforce development opportunities for the health workforce. She is committed to using research and evidence-based implementation strategies to improve health service delivery and supporting clinicians with great ideas to navigate the world of research and knowledge translation. She has worked across a range of sectors including academia, clinical practice, clinical education, research capacity building and policy development which have provided wonderful opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and implement change at all levels of the health system.
Abstract:
The diversity in scope, practice setting, and specialisation of the allied health workforce in Queensland Health necessitates a tailored approach to clinical governance that enables and ensures that allied health professionals can deliver high-quality, patient-centred care while meeting the specific regulatory and professional standards of their professions. Although guidance in allied health clinical governance is available, there was a need to review the existing recommendations in consideration of significant developments in service delivery and models of care, workforce challenges, scope of practice changes, and the national policy landscape. To inform this review, the Queensland Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer undertook an iterative exploratory analysis to understand the current state of allied health clinical governance across Queensland Hospital and Health Services. Through consideration of a range of evidence sources, including broad consultation with the workforce, analysis of workforce data, policy and procedure analysis, and review of best practice literature, three key issues impacting the implementation of excellence in clinical governance for allied health have been identified: 1) Workforce capacity and capability; 2) Existing operational and organisational structures; and 3) Strategic and professional allied health leadership. Opportunities for Improvement to address the above issues and associated risks were also identified and informed further consultation with the workforce and other stakeholders to determine next steps. Actions arising from the review include updates to existing guidelines, implementation of new or alternative governance mechanisms, workforce development, operational changes and other statewide strategies to promote excellence in governance for allied health across Queensland Health.