GP referrals will be submitted by secure electronic messaging to Queensland’s largest public hospitals and patients will have access to an online specialist appointments management system under an ambitious, four-year, $361 million plan by the Queensland government to provide more outpatients appointments and reduce waiting times.
Under the plan, Queensland GPs will also have the ability to access components of their patient’s public hospital medical record by 2018, access to an online statewide directory of public hospital services to better inform and direct their referrals by 2020, and will also be supported with new clinical decision support tools called clinical prioritisation criteria (CPC) to ensure standard and comprehensive information is included in their referrals.