This article applies to directors of hospitals, pathology laboratories, and diagnostic imaging practices.
Health and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025 (Qld)
On 25 April 2025, the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025 (Qld) (the Amendment Regulation) passed Queensland Parliament. Relevant provisions in Part 5 of the Amendment Regulation will commence on 3 May 2025.
Operationally Significant Changes
The Amendment Regulation inserts a range of amendments into the Public Health Regulation 2018 (Qld) (the Regulations). The most significant change (from an operational perspective) is prescribed reporting timeframes for directors to give notifications relating to cancer to the chief executive under the Public Health Act 2005 (Qld) (the Act).
Further Information
In 2023, the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 (Qld) proposed to replace section 234 of the Act (Notifications about cancer) with new sections 234, 234A, 234B, 234C and 234D in the Act. These new sections concern notification requirements on directors of pathology laboratories, diagnostic imaging practices, and hospitals relating to cancer.
The above amendments to the Act have been assented to and will commence on 3 May 2025. Concurrently, the Amendment Regulations have prescribed reporting timeframes for the new sections 234, 234A, 234B, 234C and 234D of the Act that will also commence on 3 May 2025. These are as follows:
- directors of pathology laboratories and diagnostic imaging practices will be required to notify the chief executive within 30 days from the day a director receives a finalised report about a relevant pathological examination or relevant diagnostic imaging procedure relating to cancer as set out in new sections 234 and 234A of the Act;
- directors of hospitals where a person attends for treatment or care will be required to notify the chief executive under new sections 234B, 234C, and 234D of the Act, according to the following:
- within 30 days from the day the director becomes aware of the cancer diagnosis of the person;
- within 120 days from the day the person’s cancer-related treatment is completed, discontinued or otherwise ends; and
- within 30 days from the day the director becomes aware of the person’s death relating to cancer at the hospital.
Please click here to access the full Regulations.
