Labor to address long wait lists

Health Minister Cameron Dick today announced the Queensland Government will make $30 million immediately available to Queensland Hospital and Health Services to start the process of addressing the ‘waiting list for the waiting list’.

“I have written to the Chairs of all Hospital and Health Services to advise them of the Government’s decision to make the pool of $30 million immediately available to address the more than 100,000 Queenslanders waiting longer than clinically recommended for an outpatient or diagnostic appointment,” said Mr Dick.

The $30 million will be made available from uncommitted funds in the Purchasing Pool, and will deliver these additional services in April, May and June.

“I am under no illusions. I know this will not be sufficient to fix the LNP’s backlog of patients on the ‘waiting list for the waiting list’, but it is a down payment on future reform,” said Mr Dick.

“I can’t change what happened in the past and developing a genuine approach to the entire patient journey will take time, but I know there is enormous capacity for innovation within our health system.”

Mr Dick also announced that the Queensland Government had agreed to discontinue Lawrence Springborg’s discredited wait time program, and that Chairs of Hospital and Health Services will be advised of the Government’s decision.

Mr Dick said he had removed the exemptions for surgery delays put in place by Lawrence Spingborg and the LNP.

“Mr Springborg’s ‘guarantee’ was only ever a gimmick,” Mr Dick said.

Mr Dick also announced that interim targets for elective surgery performance will apply to Hospital and Health Services from 1 April 2015. Under these revised targets 98 per cent of ‘urgent’ (Category 1) patients will receive their elective surgery within the clinically recommended time of 30 days, and 95 per cent of Category 2 and 3 patients will receive their elective surgery within the clinically recommended times.

“There will be no exemptions,” said Mr Dick.

“The interim targets I have announced today reflect a more balanced approach to wait time management and have removed the broad exemptions that made a mockery of Lawrence Springborg’s wait time gimmick.”

“We will take a genuine approach to tackling waiting lists across the whole patient journey – from the GP’s referral to an outpatient or diagnostic appointment and then surgery and recovery.”

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Media contact:          Mike Meurer        0428 560 937