Revelations that Queensland Health staff were asked not to perform critical IT updates during upcoming parliamentary weeks have capped a turbulent year for the department. On Thursday Health Minister Steven Miles denied he had any knowledge of an internal government letter that told staff not to go ahead with planned updates during parliament’s sitting weeks. The key IT project, an ambitious rollout expected to see the ieMR [integrated electronic Medical Record] implemented in nearly all public hospitals before 2025, had been hit with concerns from clinicians for months. In January, a Brisbane Times investigation revealed senior clinicians had been fighting for months behind the scenes to raise their fears about patient safety after a series of blunders was revealed. The Health Department and the minister have repeatedly insisted the ieMR is improving patient safety and hospital performance. But that same month, the head of the sub-department responsible for Health’s […]