eHealth chalks up $100m for Queensland ICT

Queensland Health has been allocated some $74.9 million for ICT-related projects in the state's 2010/11  budget, handed down yesterday.

The $74.9 million investment will go towards upgrades of IT equipment including telephone systems, cabling, network and servers. 

A further $25.9 million is to be invested into the continued statewide rollout of e-Health clinical and administrative information systems.

This includes the delivery of several key ICT projects including the integrated electronic Medical Record (eMR) and Viewer Program, Radiology Information Systems, enhanced breast screening technology and the Clinical Informatics Program. 

The integrated eMR will enable clinicians and planners to have a single view of patient records.  The eMR Viewer Program see this patient data stored centrally by Queensland Health, accessible for appropriate use by clinicians across the State.

The development of a Clinical Informatics Program will deliver systems for results reporting, order entry, medications management, clinical notes and discharge summary.

Boost for CITEC, Queensland Police

Equally noteworthy was the allocation of $30.1 million in funding to the Queensland Government's primary technology provider, CITEC, to continue the consolidation of data centres, networks and infrastructure system services across the Queensland Government. 

This will involve the progressive delivery of a whole-of-Government email system with identity management and authentication capability, in conjunction with the acquisition of ICT infrastructure required for the delivery of ICT services to client agencies.  

Queensland Police will also benefit with $50.2 million to be invested in ICT projects including a computer-aided dispatch, technology refresh, digital integrated traffic camera system, new Weapons Licensing System and a Telecommunications Interception system.