LNP Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said claims raised today by Dr Simon Judkins should send shockwaves through the Palaszczuk Labor Government and deserve a response from the Premier.
“Dr Judkins described mental health patients spending days before being admitted to an emergency bed as “inhuman at best and torture at worst”,” Ms Bates said.
“The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine expert is the second senior doctor to speak out about the crisis in Queensland’s public health system in as many months.
“Our public hospitals are literally bursting at the seams and Labor has no plan to fix that.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk promised better health services but patient care is getting worse.
“Rather than spending money renaming hospitals, better patient care should always be the priority.
“As a former ED nurse, I know our hard-working nurses, doctors, midwives and paramedics need more help on the frontline.
“The latest Queensland Health Hospital Performance Data for January shows many of our major emergency departments are overcrowded and ambulance ramping is rife*.
“Labor needs to fast-track promised hospital upgrades in high-growth areas like Ipswich, Caboolture and Logan.
“Queenslanders deserve a world-class public health system that only Deb Frecklington and the LNP will deliver.”
Oodgeroo LNP MP Dr Mark Robinson said the latest ED figures showed 45 per cent of ED patients were not seen on time at Redland Hospital and ambulance ramping was at 40 per cent – the worst in Queensland.
“Local Redland residents deserve better than a plan for a plan that has been delayed,” Dr Robinson said.
“Labor has been talking about a new intensive care unit since 2017 but nothing has been delivered.
“This is a growing community that is also ageing and we need better local health services for the bayside.
“There has been very little detail about the proposed hospital master plan, which isn’t surprising given the fact Annastacia Palaszczuk has cut the Metro South budget by $39 million this year.
“We need permanent solutions to be fast-tracked.”
* http://www.performance.health.qld.gov.au/
