Media Release.
Critically important medical services
at regional Queensland hospitals are due to be privatised in the latest round of
attacks on frontline services by the Newman Government.
In Rockhampton today, Opposition
Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Newman Government had been caught out in
its secret plan to start the process of privatising vital hospital services by
moving to full commercialisation.
“A leaked Queensland Health memo shows
the Newman Government is starting its hospital privatisation push by outsourcing
services including pathology and laundry that are now delivered through local
hospitals,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The memo says a newly appointed head
of the Health Services Support Agency will be implementing the ‘full
commercialisation’ of those services."
“That means the ultimate privatisation
of services through outsourcing and the potential loss of jobs and services at
Pathology Queensland laboratories at 23 regional public hospitals — including
Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald Hospitals — and a further nine hospitals in
the south-east corner.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the move would have
a devastating effect on medical services in the regions and shattered a key
promise of the Newman government not to axe frontline services.
“This is a decision by a Premier that
looked Queensland in the eye and told public servants they were safe and so were
our frontline health services,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Clearly this Premier never had any
intention of honouring that promise – 14,000 Queenslanders found out about that
the hard way."
“It also flies in the face of repeated
claims by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg that there will be no
privatisation at existing state-run hospitals."
“Now hundreds more jobs are likely to
go as the Premier and the Health Minister take such critical frontline medical
services as pathology and laundry and linen services and put them on track for
sale."
“That will mean higher costs for
patients as private operators put profit as their top priority."
“That will mean the sack for the
hundreds of workers currently employed in Pathology Queensland laboratories
across the state for decades."
“These are
the professionals who for decades Queenslanders have trusted to look after them
– they are at the forefront of diagnosing disease and now they are being shown
the door."
“Frontline services like this should
not be the plaything of a government to sell off as it pleases."
“They belong to Queenslanders and
Campbell Newman and his government have deceived everyone by promising they
would stay in public ownership and then putting them to market.”
Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne said the LNP
had been gearing up to slash health services since shortly after the March 2012
election.
“At least now we know the truth about
why services have been downsized and amalgamated and why hundreds of staff were
sacked over the past year,” Mr Byrne said."
“It was because the government – from
the get-go – planned to outsource services such as these."
“They had a secret plan to sell and
now they have taken the first step toward privatisation by moving to full
commercialisation."
“Mr Newman and Mr Springborg can dress
it up any way they like but they have now been caught out."
“It is a disgrace and Queenslanders
know a broken promise when they see one. This latest broken promise should appal
everyone,” he said.
Media Contact: 0408 975 225
Full list of hospitals with Pathology
Queensland laboratories:
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND: Emerald Hospital; Gladstone Hospital;
Rockhampton Hospital
CENTRAL WEST QUEENSLAND:
Longreach
Hospital
DARLING DOWNS: Dalby Hospital; Roma Hospital;
Toowoomba Hospital; Warwick Hospital
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND: Atherton Hospital; Cairns Hospital;
Innisfail Hospital; Thursday Island Hospital
FRASER COAST: Hervey Bay Hospital
GOLD COAST: Gold Coast Hospital; Robina
Hospital
MACKAY/WHITSUNDAYS: Mackay Hospital
NORTH QUEENSLAND: Townsville Hospital
NORTH WEST QUEENSLAND:
Mount Isa
Hospital
SOUTH-WEST QUEENSLAND:
Charleville
Hospital
SUNSHINE COAST: Gympie Hospital; Nambour
Hospital
WIDE BAY/BURNETT: Bundaberg Hospital; Kingaroy
Hospital
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND:
Caboolture Hospital;
Central Hospital (RBWH); Ipswich Hospital; Logan Hospital; Prince Charles
Hospital; Princess Alexandra Hospital; QEII Hospital; Redcliffe Hospital;
Redland Hospital
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