LABOR has promised to place “more responsibility” on future health ministers, while also supporting the state’s Hospital and Health Service boards.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the boards would be retained, but more emphasis would be placed on the health minister’s responsibilities.
“We support the board system, we do support the board system,” she said.
“However, under this Government Lawrence Springborg has basically taken no responsibility for the actions that have happened in hospitals. That will not happen under a government that I lead.
“The minister will be responsible, and the buck will stop with the minister.”
She later clarified: “The boards will stay but there will be more responsibility placed on the minister.”
NEWMAN: THROWING MONEY AT HEALTH NOT THE ANSWER
PREMIER Campbell Newman said Labor needed to do more than promise to “just throw more money” at health.
“The answer to better health in Queensland is better management. Local hospital boards. It is about ensuring that local control can occur. That’s why we’ve seen real progress in health over the last three years,” he said.
“The path to better heath care in Queensland is very clearly something this government has been working on and delivering on. There’s more to be done but it’s not about the Labor Party approach which is to just throw more money at it.
“Health actually has got more money, $2 billion a year more in the budget, (an) 18.7 per cent increase. There has been not cuts to the health budget while we’ve been in office.
“But better management, focusing on the frontline, focusing on patient care and looking after people is what health is really all about.”
Source: Courier Mail