Concerns around governance and financial management are the reasons given by Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath for issuing a show cause notice to the North West Hospital and Health Service Board on Wednesday.
The announcement brought quick condemnation from both Katter's Australian Party and the LNP, who say both that the service has been grossly underfunded and that the government is losing control of the state's healthcare system.
Ms D'Ath's media statement offers little further enlightenment into what has occurred.
She noted that all 16 of the state's hospital and health services are governed by a board, which report to the Health Minister, and each board in turn appoints a chief executive.
"Board responsibilities include the management of health service finances, land, buildings and staff," the statement said.
Ms D'Ath said that ensuring the delivery of sustainable health services to the north west was a priority.
"The action I have taken today asks the board to show cause as to why they should not be dismissed and an administrator appointed," she said.
Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the move towards sacking an entire board of health executives showed the state government was losing control of Queensland's healthcare system.
"The people of north western Queensland deserve better," she said.
KAP leader Robbie Katter said that in his experience, the overwhelming number of issues impacting health service access and outcomes were cases of local hospitals being grossly under-funded, as opposed to any suggestions of mismanagement.
"The chronic under-funding of dialysis services, lack of an in-patient mental health facility and doctor and nursing staff shortages have absolutely nothing to do with governance by the NWHHS and everything to do with decisions made by the government," he said.
"Further, the NWHHS is one of the few, if not the only, Queensland health service that does not have full block funding, which means it relies on volume of population.
"As it services a sparsely-populated but socially-challenged region, you can image what impact this model has on service delivery on the ground."
The NWHHS services a population of around 32,000 people in north western Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Mr Katter said he was concerned that the myriad health problems faced in the region were being placed at the foot of the board, when the government should fund the service properly.
Minister D'Ath acknowledged the work of Paul Woodhouse, the inaugural chair of the NWHHS board, who is retiring after ten years of service.
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