QEH moves to boost financial transparency

In the face of mounting public calls for greater accountability and efficiency, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has set an ambitious course to transform its financial management and healthcare delivery.

At a town hall meeting to examine its 2025–2028 strategic plan, CEO Neil Clark outlined plans to modernise financial systems and implement a costing strategy that aligns affordability with sustainable healthcare delivery. The hospital’s efforts also include leveraging the underutilised St. Lucy Geriatric Hospital – the nation’s oldest continuously operating healthcare facility – to ease the strain on its resources.

One of the cornerstone initiatives discussed by Clark was the creation of a detailed costing system. This system, he explained, would enable the hospital to track expenditures accurately and allocate resources more efficiently.

He emphasised the importance of affordability and accountability in financial planning. “We need to find a way that works well for Barbados, one that’s affordable and manageable,” he said. “It helps us to understand what that cost is, how we can improve and reduce it, and it helps the public understand what they’ve spent and what that means.”

Clark noted that integrating health and financial data would be critical to the new system. “The implementation of more robust financial information systems and the development of the health information system will help us understand what funding we need to run the hospital,” he added.

The hospital CEO also highlighted the hospital’s strategy for balancing financial sustainability with its commitment to public service. While exploring private service options, he assured stakeholders that public patients would remain the hospital’s top priority.

“We’re a hospital for the public, and we will treat the public as we’re expected to do,” Clark said. “If we generate income from private work on the side, that will have no impact on public patients. Public patients will always be prioritised before we offer theatres or other resources for private work.”

He stressed that revenue generated from private services would be reinvested into improving public healthcare. “It helps us to sustain the hospital and ensure we can deliver quality care to everyone.”

Another key focus of the discussion was the hospital’s strategy to decentralise care by utilising the St. Lucy Geriatric Hospital. Located in River Bay, the hospital, established in 1866 is the oldest government-run healthcare institution, and has long been underused. Clark revealed plans to make it an integral part of the nation’s healthcare system.

“We’re looking at how the St. Lucy Hospital can support us by taking on certain types of patients or services,” the CEO explained. “This would allow us to focus on acute and emergency care here at QEH while ensuring people in the north receive quality care closer to home.”

He further explained that the initiative was not only about reducing pressure on QEH but also about equity. “It’s about making sure care is accessible where people need it,” he remarked.

Details of the plan are still being finalised, but Clark indicated that St. Lucy Hospital could focus on outpatient services and rehabilitation programmes. “We’ve got to look at what is sensible and affordable but makes a difference to the people of Barbados,” he said.