On 16 February 2023, we hosted an “Ask the AMA” information session that allowed clients to speak to two of our Appointed Medical Advisors (AMAs), Dr Keith Adam and Dr David Cleveland, about the new QLD Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme (CMWHS) solution, ResHealth.

What is a QLD Coal Board Medical?

A Coal Board Medical (CBM), also known as a Coal Mine Worker Health Assessment, is a standard occupational medical examination required for all coal mine workers currently working in Queensland. The CMWHS protects the health and safety of Queensland coal mine workers by ensuring they undergo periodic health assessments, with a focus on respiratory disease prevention.

It’s important to note that although the process of CBMs are changing, that there are no legislative changes and that the same guidelines are in place with regard to what’s included in the medical.

What is ResHealth?

ResHealth is the online system for the health assessment process for the Coal Mine Worker’s Health Scheme. From 1 April 2023, ResHealth will be mandatory for the completion of these assessments. Instead of this being a paper based medical, all medical providers will be required to submit each employee’s health assessment in a secure online environment.

ResHealth was prompted to be created by the report, Review of Respiratory Component of the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme for the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, by Monash University and the University of Illinois at Chicago in July 2016. The report recommended that the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) “should transition to an electronic system of data entry and storage, whereby doctors undertaking these respiratory assessments enter the data for their assessment and can access previously collected data for the mine worker and to facilitate auditing.” The Queensland Government accepted these recommendations and therefore have created ResHealth to be a centralised database for everything to do with QLD Coal Mine Worker Health Assessments.

Although it is currently not mandatory to be used, it was created in 2019 and made available for use in 2021, so clients are able to sign up and get started with the system now.

ResHealth is completely owned and controlled by the Queensland Government, meaning that at Sonic HealthPlus, we are unable to amend any of the pages or assist with any IT issues that you may have. However, we will be required to upload the medical information for your candidates to the website and can assist with medical queries as per usual.

What clinics will be able to perform QLD CBMs?

FAQs

Extensions

The process of extensions has changed with the introduction of ResHealth. Presently, a Subsequent Review of the Section 4 is a simple fix, where candidates and clients are to provide the further information directly to Sonic HealthPlus for the AMA to then update and release a new Section 4. With ResHealth, the new process requires that the employer is to initiate a new Section 1 on the website, the candidate then fills in Section 2, and then Sonic HealthPlus has to copy over all the previous information into the new file, including additional reports, to then sign off a new Section 4.

Extensions can be done now in the current method until 1 April 2023, so to streamline this process, it is recommended that you contact the clinic that your candidate attended as soon as possible to receive this extension.

If your candidate has a CBM done the standard way prior to 1 April and requires further information to be reviewed at a later date (past 1 April), that further information will need to be initiated through ResHealth as per the process mentioned in the first paragraph above.

Bookings

Bookings made prior to 1 April 2023, but for dates in April and beyond, will need to be initiated on ResHealth on the day of the appointment.

Results

The introduction of ResHealth will show results in a much more streamlined process. Once the AMA has signed off the CBM, the result is automatically sent out to the employer and candidate directly via ResHeatlh.

Employer Name Change

If a candidate has a new employer and a past CBM, the new employer must initiate this on ResHealth by filling out a Section 1. The candidate then fills out a new Section 2, and then Sonic HealthPlus copies over all of their medical information to then finalise the result for the new employer. Depending on where the candidate went for their initial CBM assessment, it can take up to 10 working days to receive the medical report from the Government. If the candidate initially went to a Sonic HealthPlus clinic, it will be a much faster process, taking up to 2 business days for the updated Section 4 to be released.

Further Information

If you require any further information about the process, please contact your Client Partner.

ResHealth have a library of support guides and FAQs hosted on their website for employees, candidates, and medical professionals. See further information hosted here.