MEDIA STATEMENT: $12 billion Health budget black hole

$12 billion Health budget black hole 

• $12 billion in Queensland Health programs and services were left unfunded, or under-funded, by the former Labor Government.
• Birthing services, the women and girls health strategy, the Health Ombudsman, sexual assault services and vaccinations some of the programs and services put at risk due to Labor’s failure to properly fund.
• More than $18 billion in Labor health blowouts have been identified so far, after a $6 billion blowout on the hospital infrastructure program was revealed.  

The former Labor Government left more than $12 billion of health services and programs unfunded or under-funded in the budget, it has been revealed.    

Initiatives to drive-down ambulance ramping, deliver birthing services to Weipa, fund the operations of the Health Ombudsman and provide sexual assault services at Queensland hospitals were all left without adequate funding by the former Labor Government.  

The Labor Government provided Queensland Health with billions of dollars less funding than was necessary to provide promised health services for Queenslanders. 

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said Labor’s failure to resource and run our health system delivered the Queensland Health Crisis. 

“The Crisafulli Government will fix Labor’s mess, end the cost blowouts, and deliver world-class health services for Queenslanders,” Minister Nicholls said. 

“Shockingly, Labor’s failure to fund health services left them at risk, but the Crisafulli Government is delivering a lifeline to ensure Queenslanders get the health services they need.  

“The Queensland Health Crisis continued to get worse under Labor and it’s clear why. 

“Labor failed to deliver the health services Queenslanders need and they failed to provide the health workers for our future. 

“We need more frontline health workers, which is why the Crisafulli Government is working directly with local health and hospital services to help secure the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other clinicians they need right across this state. 

“We have also instructed the Department to begin rolling out our Better Health, More Services plan, including real-time health data, to deliver more transparency in our hospitals.” 

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: David McLachlan 0428 716 171