Queensland patients cannot afford further cuts to Queensland Health or privatisation of the system, Shadow Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller said today.
Mrs Miller said a new report from the Federal Government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlighted how little health expenditure had grown under the Newman Government and meant there was no more room for the LNP’s slash and burn approach.
“Under the Newman Government, we have seen almost 5000 health worker positions go across Queensland,” she said.
“We’ve seen outsourcing of x-ray services in central Queensland and now we’re seeing another sneaky manoeuvre from Lawrence Springborg as he sells the land and buildings that house Brisbane’s public dental hospital.
“No matter how Lawrence Springborg and Campbell Newman try and sell it, it’s an asset sale and nothing else.
“This is the ninth public building that the LNP is selling despite promises that it would not.”
Mrs Miller said demand for the service remained high.
“There are more than 1000 people waiting for an appointment at the Brisbane Dental Hospital including pensioners,” she said.
“This is made worse when you consider that expenditure by the Newman Government on dental services has been slashed by 10%.”
Mrs Miller said Queensland Health could not sustain any more cuts or outsourcing from Lawrence Springborg and Campbell Newman.
“There are already 250,000 people on the waiting list for the waiting list,” Mrs Miller said.
“Today’s figures reveal that health expenditure by the Newman Government has increased just 1.8% which is less than health inflation of 2.2%.
“When the Newman Government’s partnership agreement with the Abbott Government expires in 2015, they have no plan for Queensland and no plan for Queensland Health apart from asset sales and privatisation.
“The Abbott Government has already cut health services to the bone and we can’t afford more of the same from Lawrence Springborg and Campbell Newman.
“The LNP has already started to Americanise health services in central Queensland through outsourcing.
“More of the same is coming unless Campbell Newman and Lawrence Springborg stop their current regime of ideologically-driven cuts and asset sales.”