The man accused of stealing $16 million from Queensland Health has spent the night in the Royal Brisbane Hospital

The man accused of stealing $16 million from Queensland Health has spent the night in the Royal Brisbane Hospital after an apparent drug overdose.

Joel Barlow, 36, was found semi-conscious at his luxury New Farm unit in the early hours of Monday morning.

He was taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital where he remains under police guard.

The New Zealand national is accused of embezzling millions of dollars and forensic auditors are still trying to determine if more money is missing.

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson says detectives are waiting to speak to him.
Audio: Fraud suspect spends night in hospital (AM)


"He can't be handed over to us until those medical issues are cleared and resolved," he said.

Premier Anna Bligh says asset recovery measures are in place but it could take some time.

"Nothing can actually be recovered until there is a conviction," she said.

"I should also say that if this person is convicted their superannuation would also be subject to recovery."
'Knee-jerk reaction'

Yesterday Ms Bligh announced that Queensland Health, which has been hit by a series of scandals in recent years, would be disbanded and split into two new bodies.

But a former Queensland Health commissioner says the decision to split up the department is bizarre.

"It's a just a knee-jerk reaction," Tony Morris QC said.

"The government is deservedly getting some bad press over the latest catastrophe in Queensland Health and they had to say something and so they came up with this extraordinary proposal."

In 2005 Mr Morris chaired a Commission of Inquiry into the Jayant Patel scandal that ultimately led to the former doctor's conviction on three counts of manslaughter.

And he is still scathing about a lack of checks and balances of staff appointments at Queensland Health.

"If the investigation that was conducted, I think, in August 2010 had identified the problem then a large proportion of the money that went missing would still be in the Queensland Health coffers to help pay for health services," he said.

For four years, Mr Barlow rose through the ranks of Queensland Health while also becoming a familiar face at Brisbane's charity events.

Queensland Police admit a five-minute phone call to New Zealand authorities could have prevented the embezzlement, and Ms Bligh wants trans-Tasman criminal checks tightened.

Beth Mohle from the nurses union says the latest scandal makes the department a laughing stock.

"Our members were shocked by the announcement last week of the $16 million fraud, particularly coming hot on heels of the payroll disaster that we've been enduring for 22 months now. The problems with the payroll still continue," she said.

"The feedback that we were getting from members ranged from anger to hysteria ... people were laughing about the fact that it was - incredulous really.