Queensland Health has stood down two senior officials over allegations of nepotism.
The Crime and Corruption Commission will investigate two of Queensland’s most senior health officials over allegations of nepotism, it confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.
Susan Middleditch, deputy director-general of Queensland Health’s corporate services, and Colin McCririck, the recently recruited chief information officer for the government body’s new agency eHealth, were stood down late last year.
Queensland Health confirmed in a statement on January 1 that the pair had been stood down, following “an internal complaint about recruitment processes”.
The complaint is believed to have stemmed from the appointment of Ms Middleditch’s husband to a job with eHealth Queensland.
Queensland Health director-general Michael Walsh then referred the allegations to the CCC.
On Wednesday, the corruption watchdog confirmed in a statement it had found enough substance in the allegations to warrant a full investigation.
“In December 2015, Queensland Health notified the Crime and Corruption Commission about allegations of corrupt conduct relating to recruitment processes,” the statement read.
“The CCC has assessed these allegations and has determined it is in the public interest to advise it has commenced an investigation to determine if there has been any corrupt conduct.”
Queensland Health lured Mr McCririck from Suncorp just over a year ago to take over the department’s top-ranking IT role, chief technology officer.
He was then appointed to lead eHealth Queensland as it rolls out its four-year eHealth investment strategy just three weeks before he was stood down.
Ms Middleditch has been with Queensland Health since 2012, in a variety of high-ranking roles, including deputy director-general of support services and chief executive of Health Support Queensland.
She was appointed deputy director-general of corporate services just seven months ago.