Queensland government leaves Indigenous seats on major hospital boards empty, breaching state law

Under the Hospital and Health Boards Act, Queensland must appoint Indigenous members to the Metro North and Metro South Hospital and Health Services boards, yet both seats have remained vacant since March 31. Health Minister Tim Nicholls acknowledges recruitment efforts but has not yet used his authority to make interim appointments. Bill Glasson, a prominent medical leader, called the failure a clear breach of the law and argued that without Indigenous voices the boards cannot effectively improve health outcomes for the 30,000 Indigenous residents served by Metro South and the sizable population in Metro North.

He pointed to recent Indigenous health conferences as evidence of ample qualified candidates. Tom Calma stressed that the lack of representation contributes to higher preventable hospitalisations and lower life expectancy for First Nations peoples. The boards have also left key advisory committees unfilled, while other hospital boards received 91 new members in the same period. Critics link the issue to broader concerns about institutional racism and recent government decisions affecting Indigenous participation.