Newman and Springborg rip the heart out of the Queensland health system

A media release from the Shadow Queensland Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller:

Newman and Springborg rip the heart out of the health system

The LNP Government has today etched its name in history as the government that ripped the heart out of the Queensland health system, slashing more than 2700 jobs and axing services in a bid to cripple the system state-wide.

Shadow Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller said today’s disgraceful and merciless axing of health jobs and services told the real story of a Premier and his Health Minister who had no intention of keeping their promise not to slash frontline services, including nurses and doctors and other critical health workers.

“The Premier and his Health Minister have today ripped the heart out of frontline health services across Queensland,” Mrs Miller said.

“You don’t sack more than 2700 people – including more than 1500 from hospitals and health services - without sacking frontline staff including nurses and doctors.

“That’s a simple fact.

“What Mr Springborg has failed to acknowledge today is that these 2750 staff are on top of the 3000 fixed term appointments and casual positions that were terminated in June this year.

“Hundreds of other jobs were also lost in the community sector when the government closed grant funded projects and programs in organisations like Family Planning Queensland .

“So that’s almost 6000 health workers on the unemployment queue in this wholesale axe through the heart of our state’s health system.

“This LNP Government has now declared war on the people of Queensland through this wholesale axing of the health system.

“Queenslanders should now be under no illusions and make no mistake – this Premier is the frontline Commander in Chief of a heartless government that has declared war on the ordinary people of Queensland in every suburb, every town and city across the State.

“What the LNP has effectively done is create a two-tier health system where those who can afford it get the best health options, but where the majority of Queenslanders who rely on the public health system are left to fend for themselves.

“It’s about the "haves" getting the best care and the "have nots" forced into hospital and doctor shopping to get medical care.

“It’s about creating a system where the most disadvantaged get turned away from help, where church organisations, where welfare organisations look after the people.

“That is the real LNP way.

“And it is what they refused to show us prior to the election. The real Newman, the real LNP has now been revealed in all its ugliness.”

Mrs Miller said the LNP Government had failed Queenslanders by refusing to provide a world class health service and failed to value our doctors, nurses and all allied professionals including administrative staff.

“In stark contrast the former Labor Government ploughed hundreds of millions into the health system in every Queensland region, in every Queensland city rather than rip its heart out.

“It was our government that put $128 million into the Ipswich Hospital emergency department redevelopment.

“It was Labor that funded the $94 million Townsville Hospital redevelopment over the past year and increased nurse numbers in that region by 74 per cent.

“It was our government that built the $1.76 billion, 750 bed Gold Coast University Hospital which will open in December.

“It was Labor that undertook a $244 million redevelopment of the Rockhampton hospital and increased nurse numbers by 54 per cent in that city.

“Now this short-sighted, cruel LNP Government has taken us all a giant step backward ­and all Queenslanders will remember this day of the axe as one of national shame.”