Australia’s e-health chief to depart

The head of Australia’s National E-Health Transition Authority is set to depart after her resignation as director-general of Queensland Health.

Uschi Schreiber will leave Queensland Health to take up a partnership with consultants Ernst and Young, according to a report by Australian IT.

Schreiber’s departure from Queensland Health’s top job would automatically trigger her resignation from NEHTA’s board – which she has chaired since April.

The state’s premier, Anna Bligh, said Schreiber is leaving "to pursue new career opportunities". It is understood she will move to Sydney early next year to take up a partnership with Ernst and Young.

According to online news service Australian IT, NEHTA’s board is currently considering a review of operations and possible future directions, to be conducted by Boston Consulting. The authority comprises the leading health bureaucrats from the federal, state and territory governments.

In October Schreiber promised to ensure NEHTA into a new phase that would see the organisation "work more closely with the IT vendor community, jurisdictions and other interested parties" to aid completion of the work programme.

E-health failed to get a mention in the manifesto of Australia’s Labor party, which last week beat the incumbent Howard government in national elections. The Labor party has promised to spend £850m (AU $2bn) on hospital reforms and new healthcare programmes.