A free Queensland in-home aged care service will continue, after the health minister stepped in to stop it being axed.
Workers from the Gold Coast Home Support program were sent an email last week telling them the service would be phased out over the next 12 months at the request of the federal government, which funds the program.
It was set to be replaced with privately run schemes, which would have charged elderly patients.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said he wasn't aware the service was due to be axed until media brought it to his attention late last week, and he has now ensured it will continue.
Mr Miles says a decision of this magnitude should have been brought to his attention before it was approved , and he doesn't believe "middle management" in the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service followed proper processes.
"The staff involved have been counselled, training will be deployed, certainly the chief executive has been very apologetic and will apologise to all clients involved," he said on Monday
"I will also be writing to all HHS board chairs to remind them of their responsibilities on behalf of the government to deliver health services."
Gold Coast HHS Chief Executive Ron Calvert issued a statement apologising for the situation and promising that the more than 2100 people who use the service would be contacted.
But Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said on Monday Mr Miles has lost control of his portfolio.
"This is typical of Steven Miles, he blames everybody except himself when he is the minister and the buck stops with him," Mr Mander said.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday defended her minister, saying he was doing a good job administering the $17.3 billion health portfolio.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Health Boards were set up under the former Newman government and were empowered to make decisions about which programs continue.
"Every once in a while the health minister has to step in where he thinks the health boards haven't got the decision correct," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters in Toowoomba.
About 100 people work as part of the program, but the minister's office said they would have been redeployed to other areas and no one was due to lose their jobs.
Australian Associated Press
