A loss of “centralised oversight” in Queensland Health since the Newman government's decentralisation push was a factor in two hospital suicides, a coroner has found.

Coroner Kevin Priestly said the decentralisation into 16 regional hospital boards had prevented major state-wide changes to mental health treatment.

A coroner's review of two suicides at mental health units in Townsville asks why recommendations are not implemented statewide. Credit:Michael Chambers

“There was a restructure in Queensland Health in 2012 (and the passage of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2012) resulting in some loss of centralised oversight and devolution of responsibility to health services for reviewing inquest recommendations, findings of root cause analyses and critical incidents,” Mr Priestly said.

Sixteen hospital and health boards were introduced by the Liberal National Party in 2012 and were kept by Labor when Annastacia Palaszczuk won office in January 2015.