Stronger monitoring and regulation of insurers is central to maintaining a robust Queensland workers’ compensation scheme, according to an independent review.

The Industrial Relations and Workers’ Compensation Scheme Review found the scheme to be financially sound but has identified six key actions required to support long-term sustainability.

The four steps that focus on scheme insurers are:

Ensuring the Workers’ Compensation Regulator has the appropriate tools to encourage continuous improvement and respond to non-compliance within insurers.

Improving consistency and quality of claims decision-making and claims management practices, with a focus on psychological injuries, rehabilitation and return to work.

Raising insurer capability, including through support from specialist medical expertise and clinical governance.

Streamlining processes for assessing degrees of permanent impairment, reviewing insurer decisions and information provision.

The other recommendations include ensuring the scheme has appropriate coverage of work-related psychological injury claims, and broadening the tools available to prevent, detect and respond to fraud.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance has welcomed the review and its focus on improving claims.

Its Queensland president, Peter Gibson, said: “The independent review found Queensland’s workers’ compensation scheme to be financially strong, with fair and balanced entitlements. We are pleased the government has taken a measured approach to reform and we welcome the decision to preserve injured workers’ common law rights and journey claims.

“Queensland has one of Australia’s best workers’ compensation schemes and it is important that we protect what is working well.”

The ALA says it supports improved codes of practice for claims management and return to work, greater psychiatric expertise in WorkCover, a register of independent medical examiners and stronger oversight of insurers.

See the review report here.