STATE BUDGET TACKLES RECORD DEMAND ON PUBLIC HOSPITALS

An unprecedented package worth $680 million will target pressure points in Queensland’s public health systemsuch as emergency departments, surgery theatres, maternity and oral health, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Projects already identified for funding include new helipads, scanning and imaging equipment, nursery cots, staff accommodation and more emergency treatment bays.

Mr Robertson said today’s record Queensland Health Budget contained a special Demand Management Fund that all three Area Health Services could use to tackle their individual service challenges.

“This is about planning for and managing Queensland’s extraordinary growth which is putting unprecedented pressure on our public health services,” Mr Robertson said.

“We’re also dealing with chronic worldwide workforce shortages, the tyranny of distance in Australia’s most decentralised state, soaring rates of lifestyle-related chronic disease, and a lack of GPs to shoulder much of the workload.

“All of these issues put our health districts under a lot of pressure to maintain safe, sustainable services but they all have their own individual circumstances requiring different responses.

“That’s why we have established this special Demand Management Fund.

“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 record demand head on.”

Capital projects already identified for funding include:

·Replacement or refurbishment of a range of rural and regional facilities within the Central Area Health Service ($35.5 million);

·Princess Alexandra Hospital helipad redevelopment ($22 million);

·Upgrade to helipad facilities within Northern Area Health Service including Innisfail, Torres, Cooktown and Wujal Wujal ($6.6 million).

·Improvement to oral health facilities in the Wide Bay-Burnett ($17.5 million);

·Redevelopment of Logan Annexe (former Logan Private Hospital) ($15.5 million);

·Princess Alexandra Hospital Positron Emission Tomography scanner ($13.8M);

·Radiation oncology bunker at Princess Alexandra Hospital ($10 million);

·Upgrade to Redcliffe operating theatres and medical imaging ($10 million);

·Expansion of the Townsville Hospital emergency department and medical imaging services ($10 million)

·Increase and improve staff accommodation across Northern Area Health Service ($8.27 million)

·Development of short to medium term community living solutions for mental health patients in Townsville and Mackay, commencing in 2009-10 ($7.98 million)

·Royal Children’s Hospital interim demand management strategy including provision of High Dependency Unit ($7.5 million)

·Improvements to Primary Health Care Centres across the Northern Peninsula and Cape York Health Service Districts ($7.25 million)

·Replacement or redevelopment of clinics within the Northern Area Health Service ($7.2 million)

·Development of the Healthy Ageing Precinct in Central Area supporting aged care beds and rehabilitation for older patients ($7 million)

·Purchasing of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine at Rockhampton ($7 million)

·Upgrade or replacement to air-conditioning in Mt Isa and Clermont Hospitals ($4.75 million)

·Continuation of works to convert the Mossman Satellite Dialysis Centre to a eight chair dialysis centre ($1.1 million)

·Additional improvements to the Caboolture Hospital Emergency Department ($700,000)

·Special Care Nursery cots at Ipswich and Toowoomba Hospitals ($470,000) and

·Replacement of Chinchilla Hospital operating theatre air-conditioning ($110,000).

Mr Robertson said additional service improvements and further capital projects to be funded will be identified after each Area Health Service completes detailed assessments on service needs.

3 June,  2008
MEDIA: JOSHUA COONEY 3234 1185