“The private sector does it because they’re out to make connections at every level,” Howard Whitton,who has advised international bodies including the OECD,said of the secondment arrangements and collapsing walls between the public and private sectors. “Queensland Health is a very large bucket of money,that’s what it’s all about.”
Acting director-general Shaun Drummond left as chief executive of the department’s largest public health service,Metro North,last July for a partnership leading Deloitte’s national hospital financial and transformation practice. At least three other senior health service staff later followed.
Brisbane Timescan reveal that in September Deloitte was awarded an as-yet-undisclosed contract,signed off by then-director-general John Wakefield and his deputy in the healthcare purchasing and system performance division,to “deliver an overarching strategy focusing primarily on the delivery of sustainable health care”.
The contract was agreed to by Mr Wakefield – who has no employment history with Deloitte – before Mr Drummond’s return to the department,and was awarded under a whole-of-government standing offer arrangement allowing pre-approved suppliers,including other big four consultancy firms,to be contacted for direct quotes.
What has been described as the nature and timeframe of the contract meant only Deloitte was approached and multiple quotes were said to not have been required. The value of the contract is unclear.
Deloitte then granted Mr Drummond a 12-month leave of absence toreturn to the public service and establish a new chief operating officer role,reporting directly to Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and focused on operational delivery of the work of Hospital and Health Services and the Queensland Ambulance Service,from January.