D’Ath told reporters in Redland City this morning that she lacked the “full information” to sack the Mackay HHS when allegations were first raised about systemic failures in the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology unit that allegedly left three babies dead and harmed scores of women with life-long injuries.

After issuing a ‘show cause’ notice to the board on September 30 on why members should not be dismissed in the wake of reported findings damning the hospital’s procedures, D’Ath announced at 6.30am today that she had removed all directors to be replaced by a sole interim administrator, Karen Roach.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has questioned the timing of D’Ath’s actions, accusing the embattled health minister of creating a distraction from the highly critical report of the inquiry into of the Queensland Police Service’s responses to domestic and family violence.

“The timing of the announcement is dripping in arrogance,” he said.

“Despite having ‘show cause’ notices for weeks, yesterday Yvette D’Ath rushed through an extraordinary meeting with the Governor, on the very same day the failings of the Palaszczuk Government were exposed in another damning report.

“In a feeble attempt to break a media cycle, the health minister puts out a media release at 6:30am the very next day.

“This announcement could have been made at any other time but the Palaszczuk Government chose that very moment.

“It’s calculated and underhanded.”

D’Ath was further probed on what she knew about the problems at Mackay, particularly a written endorsement she issued back in March this year praising the HHS for their “proven track record” that indicated its members should continue in their roles.

D’Ath was adamant her endorsement was not at odds with the action to sack the board on Tuesday morning.

“In March I didn’t have a report showing dozens and dozens of women being harmed physically, emotionally, permanently,” she said.

“I didn’t have enough information to act on the board at that stage.”

Information publicly available shows the Palaszczuk Government was actively involved in addressing Mackay’s issues in 2020, when the CEO of the Office of Rural and Remote Health, Lisa Davies Jones, moved into the CEO position at Mackay during Steven Miles’ tenure as Health Minister.

Miles had established the new health office, a key strategic move to improve communication and coordination of policy across the rural and regional health sector, in January 2020.

Davies Jones, touted as a savvy operator with a strong work ethic, good diplomatic skills and a competent reformer, was the office’s foundation leader.

Eleven months later she was in Mackay, presumably hand-picked to begin the hard work of overhauling its failing systems and appalling culture.

Less than two years later, in August this year, she was gone, officially resigned, although across the sector it is acknowledged she was asked to make way for the political wheels in motion.

One month later the board was on notice. Less than eight weeks later they too would be shown the door.

D’Ath said it had become apparent that the board lacked the “skillset” and the energy to resolve Mackay hospital’s substandard clinical care of women and babies as revealed by the investigative report from 2019-2021.

“As individuals they are committed to their communities, they want to do the right thing,” she said.

“What has happened hasn’t happened out of malice, but the fact is it did happen under their watch and people have to be held accountable for that.”

But Crisafulli said D’Ath could not escape responsibility for what happened at Mackay Hospital.

“How many mothers were maimed while the Health Minister refused to listen?” he said.

“The Opposition was sounding the alarm about Mackay Hospital for more than a year before the Health Minister showed any interest.

“The Health Minister must be sacked.

“If the Premier values transparency and believes in accountability then there is no way the Health Minister can keep her job.”