Labor tackles waiting lists

Over 10,000 Queenslanders currently on waiting lists will have their medical needs addressed quicker through an extra $30 million the Queensland Government has allocated to address the problem.

Health Minister Cameron Dick announced earlier this year that he had allocated $30 million as priority money to shorten waiting lists, and today he released the detail of where that money would be spent.

“This is money going to frontline services so that people currently on a waiting list can be seen quicker,” he said.

“We’re addressing this as a matter of priority. It’s a very complex area and providing extra money is only part of the answer, but it’s a part we can play.”

The $30 million will fund more than 10,000 additional specialist outpatient appointments, more than 5,000 additional endoscopies, and more than 2,000 additional inpatient procedures.

The $30 million was made available from uncommitted funds in the Purchasing Pool, and the additional services will be delivered before June 30 this year.

“I was always open and honest in saying that this would not be sufficient to fix the LNP’s backlog of more than 114,000 patients on the long wait list, but it is a start on what is a substantial problem,” said Mr Dick

“What Lawrence Springborg was promising had more spin than Shane Warne but no substance. His wait time gimmick didn’t allocate one dollar to extra surgery but $77 million over the next three years to advertising and bureaucracy.”

Mr Dick said that by contrast, the Labor Government had set a target of having 98 per cent of urgent cases receiving their surgery within the clinically recommended time of 30 days, and 95 per cent of other patients will also receive their treatment within the clinically recommended time.

“And unlike the LNP’s program, we will not have any exemptions.”

Delivering additional outpatient appointments will identify the need for some patients to have elective surgery. A proportion of the $30 million has therefore been allocated to fund additional elective surgeries.

Mr Dick said that in addition to extra funds to shorten the waiting lists, the government would also be convening a health roundtable today to listen to the views of health professionals in search of a balanced approach to waiting lists.

“The roundtable will allow me to hear first-hand from health professionals who deal with waiting lists on a daily basis,” Mr Dick said.

“It’s essential that we listen to the dedicated women and men who work in our health system as we put together a genuine approach to tackling long waits in the system.

“The roundtable will bring together more than 30 people from our hospitals and the broader health system, and from all parts of Queensland.”

Roundtable participants will include Chairs of Hospital and Health Boards, Chief Executives of Hospital and Health Services (HHSs), GPs, surgeons, specialist physicians, nurses and allied health workers.

The roundtable will be facilitated by Dr Norman Swan. Dr Swan has previously facilitated discussions of the Queensland Clinical Senate, and has reported health matters on ABC radio.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Fraser (07) 3035 6119 or 0428 690 679.