- The Crisafulli Government has passed new laws to strengthen Queensland's health system and enhance patient safety.
- The Health Legislation Amendment Bill (No.3) 2025 is the third omnibus health Bill for 2025 and includes improvements to the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2024 to ensure safer and more accountable ART services.
- Amendments to the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979 enable greater opportunity for organ donation to occur.
- Further amendments strengthen accountability for health system performance and improve patient safety.
The Crisafulli Government has passed new legislation in the Queensland Parliament that makes Queensland's health system safer, including the assisted reproductive technology sector.
The new laws are just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for Queensland, after a decade of decline under the former Labor Government that left the state in a Health Crisis.
The Health Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 3) 2025 amends eight health-related Acts, including the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2024 (ART Act) which the former Labor Government rushed through Parliament, against expert advice.
The changes made by the Crisafulli Government relate to the collection of information, stronger inspector powers to monitor the industry, as well as provisions to allow for a smooth transition for treatments that started before the original law commenced last year.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Bill was vital to address legislative gaps that had greatly impacted on Queenslanders hoping to start families, with some patients having their treatments interrupted or postponed as a direct result of Labor's sloppy laws.
"Labor's ART Act is the poster child for what can happen if legislation is rushed, and it resulted in a framework that was difficult for providers to navigate and put up heartbreakingly unnecessary barriers for patients desperate to be mums and dads," Minister Nicholls said.
The Bill also updates the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979 to support organ donation following circulatory death.
"With over 1,800 Australians on the transplant waiting list and more than 14,000 undergoing kidney dialysis, it's crucial we do everything possible to enable donation where individuals and families support it," Minister Nicholls said.
"The changes provide a clear legal framework for families or next of kin to consent to certain clinical procedures to determine suitability for donation and preserve organ viability after a decision has already been made to withdraw life support.
"This includes allowing families and next of kin to consent to interventions such as administering medications to prevent blood clots or undertaking medical imaging."
The Bill also provides governance reforms to the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011, Health and Wellbeing Queensland Act 2019, Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024, and Hospital Foundations Act 2018 to broaden the grounds on which the Governor in Council may remove certain statutory office holders.
"These changes ensure that those in leadership positions are held to the highest standards and remain accountable to the people of Queensland," Minister Nicholls said.
"These amendments mirror those that were proposed and passed by former Labor government on numerous occasions, including by Cameron Dick in 2021."
Additionally, the Bill also makes amendments to the Private Health Facilities Act 1999 to streamline information sharing across the Queensland Government and implement new National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards.
"This Bill is all about delivering a modern, safe, and responsive health system for all Queenslanders by ensuring better protection for patients, improved performance across the system, and stronger foundations for future health reforms," Minister Nicholls said.
