Palaszczuk challenged to support better healthcare in Queensland
Published Wednesday, 19 June, 2013 at 04:30 AM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has accused Labor and its State Opposition Leader of living a lie over past policies of privatisation and the reckless mismanagement of Queensland Health.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk is the Queen of privatisation,” Mr Springborg said today. “Labor ran the health system into the ground and now it wants to deny Queenslanders better management and value for money.”
“Having privatised the jobs of 9000 rail workers in this State – and as a parting gift, sacked 600 of them - Ms Palaszczuk is now attacking Government policies that will improve the fundamental performance and efficiency of health support services in areas such as pathology and linen services.”
Mr Springborg said Labor’s flawed and failing corporate model for Queensland Health had been under root and branch repair since June 7, 2012. Labor mismanagement had produced a state health system that was 11 per cent less efficient than the national average.
“Under the LNP, better management by local boards is providing better emergency department and elective surgery performance and increasing health activity across the State,” the Minister said. “Still Ms Palaszczuk spruiks the reckless and incompetent practices of the Labor Party.”
In February, the Government’s ‘Blueprint for better healthcare’ outlined plans for contestability and the full commercialisation of business units within the state-run health system.
“Commercialisation means the application of transparent business principles in health management,” Mr Springborg said. “That’s value for money. It’s common sense, not privatisation. Commercialised practices will create further improvements and enable more resources to be directed to frontline services.”
Mr Springborg said future options for outsourcing would only be pursued where a clear case based on value for money could be made.
“Labor outsourced hundreds of millions of dollars in health jobs and services for decades with no such consideration and no contrary comment from Ms Palaszczuk or her fellow-travelling union bosses,” the Minister said.
“Today, Hospital and Health Services are completing more health activity and achieving better health outcomes without the chronic overspending and budget deficits that plagued Labor.
“All this has been achieved, but Ms Palaszczuk remains in denial.”
Ends
Contact: Cameron Thompson 0407-585230
“Annastacia Palaszczuk is the Queen of privatisation,” Mr Springborg said today. “Labor ran the health system into the ground and now it wants to deny Queenslanders better management and value for money.”
“Having privatised the jobs of 9000 rail workers in this State – and as a parting gift, sacked 600 of them - Ms Palaszczuk is now attacking Government policies that will improve the fundamental performance and efficiency of health support services in areas such as pathology and linen services.”
Mr Springborg said Labor’s flawed and failing corporate model for Queensland Health had been under root and branch repair since June 7, 2012. Labor mismanagement had produced a state health system that was 11 per cent less efficient than the national average.
“Under the LNP, better management by local boards is providing better emergency department and elective surgery performance and increasing health activity across the State,” the Minister said. “Still Ms Palaszczuk spruiks the reckless and incompetent practices of the Labor Party.”
In February, the Government’s ‘Blueprint for better healthcare’ outlined plans for contestability and the full commercialisation of business units within the state-run health system.
“Commercialisation means the application of transparent business principles in health management,” Mr Springborg said. “That’s value for money. It’s common sense, not privatisation. Commercialised practices will create further improvements and enable more resources to be directed to frontline services.”
Mr Springborg said future options for outsourcing would only be pursued where a clear case based on value for money could be made.
“Labor outsourced hundreds of millions of dollars in health jobs and services for decades with no such consideration and no contrary comment from Ms Palaszczuk or her fellow-travelling union bosses,” the Minister said.
“Today, Hospital and Health Services are completing more health activity and achieving better health outcomes without the chronic overspending and budget deficits that plagued Labor.
“All this has been achieved, but Ms Palaszczuk remains in denial.”
Ends
Contact: Cameron Thompson 0407-585230