Gold Coast Hospital & Health Service

About Gold Coast Hospital & Health Service

The Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (HHS) is the principal provider of health services for the Gold Coast area. It is independently and locally controlled by a Board, which exercises significant powers in the management of service delivery. The $1.76 billion Gold Coast University Hospital has been a significant investment in health infrastructure for the Gold Coast and is one of Queensland's largest clinical teaching and research facilities. The Gold Coast HHS is moving towards a patient-focused appointment booking process to help reduce the number of patients failing to attend an outpatient appointment or procedure, reduce waiting lists and better identification of patients in need of an appointment. The Consumer first project has made significant sustainable and innovative changes to enhance the quality of care for mental health patients. There is now a consistent and monitored approach to crisis management planning, supporting patients to manage crisis situations and potentially avoiding unnecessary presentations to the emergency department. The Falls and Balance Clinic, in partnership with general practitioners, has reduced the rate of falls among high-risk older adults with a 92 per cent reduction in falls between the initial appointment and review, thereby reducing hospital and emergency department admissions. Oral health waiting times for general dental assessment have been reduced by almost 50 per cent in less than 12 months. Planning for the Southport Health Precinct is underway, with a range of outpatient and community based services expected to move into refurbished buildings in 2014.