HEALTH BUDGET DELIVERS ON REFORM AGENDA

The Bligh Government will pump $8.35 billion into Queensland’s public health system in 2008-09, another record budget that continues widespread reform and expanded services.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said it was a massive $1.2 billion more than Queensland Health’s budget last year to keep pace with the state’s growing population and unprecedented demand for public health services.

He said in addition, a record capital works budget of $1 billion would support our doctors and nurses with better health infrastructure including the development of three new tertiary hospitals in South East Queensland and major hospital projects in north Queensland.

“The Bligh Government is increasing the health budget by 17% while our population increases by 2.2%,” Mr Robertson said.

“That’s how committed we are to building a world-class health system in Queensland.

“This Budget will deliver on our next phases of health reform – a growing, more sophisticated clinical workforce, smarter, more efficient services, easing the burden on emergency departments and surgical wards, better care in the community, prevention and early intervention and improved information technology.

“We’re giving Queensland Health the financial capacity to deal with the soaring numbers of patients flowing through its doors while also delivering practical solutions to ease the burden.”

Mr Robertson said the centrepiece of this year’s health budget was an unprecedented injection of funding for Queensland Health’s three regions (Area Health Services) to tackle specific pressure points in the system.

“Queensland’s population is expected to grow by 2.2% in the next year but some of our districts are predicting patient demand much higher than this,” he said.

“Every region is facing its own unique challenges and critical service needs.

“That’s why this year’s Budget has allocated special discretionary funding for each region to spend according its own emerging pressures.

“The Southern Area, which covers the largest percentage of the state’s population, has been allocated $169.75 million in recurrent funding and $133.54 million in capital funding over the next four years.

“The Central Area will receive $140.22 million in recurrent funding and $110.31 million in capital funding and Northern $72.45 million in recurrent and $53.65 million in capital.”

“In total the State Budget is providing $382.42 million in recurrent funding and $297.5 million in capital funding to increase services that will tackle this record demand head on.”

Other significant budget features include:

·$35.8 million over four years to build Queensland’s nursing workforce, specifically funding to support more nurse practitioner positions and to train more nurses to work in the specialised area of neonatal intensive care and special care nurseries;

·$54.9 million over four years to significantly boost Queensland Health’s Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme that will provide more medical aids to 7,000 more Queenslanders with a specific health condition or recovering from surgery;

·$9 million over four years to improve maternity services across the state, particularly in regional areas;

·$82.6 million over four years will be provided to staff an extra 140 mental health beds in new purpose-built facilities, committed to as part of the Bligh Government’s unprecedented injection of mental health funding. In addition to these 140 beds, another 136 mental health beds will be redeveloped, upgraded and refurbished by 2011;

·$8 million over four years to ramp up the State Government’s campaign against rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS; and

·A $10 million expansion of Townsville Hospital’s emergency department and medical imaging area to address capacity issues, building on an $84 million redevelopment.

Mr Robertson said the Budget would continue to increase the number of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals working in the public health system.

“Since June 2005, we have increased the number of employed doctors from 4,552 to 6,125, nurses from 21,911 to 26,924 and allied health professionals from 6,934 to 8,744,” he said.

“The Bligh Government will keep working hard to fill as many clinical vacancies as we can to build a first-class health system for Queenslanders.”

3 June,  2008
MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185