REPORT CARD CONFIRMS QUEENSLAND IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

An AMA Report Card released today confirms the Queensland Government is on the right track to delivering Australia’s shortest public hospital waiting times.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the Report called for state and territory Governments to commit to decreasing public hospital waiting times.

“The Queensland Government has already made this commitment through its Towards Q2 strategy, with one of our core targets being the shortest public hospital waiting times in Australia,” Mr Robertson said.

“What this report confirms is we are well on the way to achieving this, and we already have the best elective surgery waiting times in Australia.

However Mr Robertson said the AIHW data, which was now over 18 months old, did not reflect the 8.9 per cent increase in elective surgery treatments in the past 12 months.

“Queensland’s successful “Surgery Connect” initiative has since made further inroads into elective surgery waiting times.

“What this report shows is that despite having the best waiting times in Australia over 18 months ago, we are committed to doing better.

Mr Robertson said the Queensland Government’s $10 billion injection of funds under the Health Action Plan saw the State radically grow its health expenditure by 16.8 per cent in the 2007-08 Budget alone.

“The latest AIHW report Health Expenditure Australia 2006-07 shows Queensland has for a number of years now outstripped the rest of the states and territories when it comes to increasing spending on health,” he said.

“However while State spending has been increasing at a significant rate, the Commonwealth share has steadily declined.

“Under the Howard Government we saw Federal funding short-change Queenslanders by $2.9 billion,” he said.

Mr Robertson welcomed the AMA’s call for increased Commonwealth funding.

“This needs to be seriously addressed through the next Health Care Agreement,” he said.

Mr Robertson said the AMA Report Card indicated Emergency Departments were under pressure – a fact the Queensland Government has openly acknowledged.

“However, as we saw in our Quarterly Performance Report last week ED waiting times are improving.

Mr Robertson said all Australian Emergency Departments were experiencing the same pressure but Queensland had a number of strategies in place to better manage this pressure.

“Our successful “Surgery Connect” program has seen a massive 8.9 per cent increase in patients receiving elective surgery, and our 8-point, “whole-of-hospital” demand management strategy, developed by senior Emergency Physicians, is paying dividends.

Mr Robertson said the State Government also agreed more beds were important.

“That is why, during the last election, the Queensland Government committed to one of the largest hospital bed programs ever undertaken in Australia.

“Our “More Beds for Hospitals” initiative has delivered an additional 564 new beds in the past two years, and we are well on our way to meeting our election commitment of delivering 1,046 additional beds by 2010-2011.

"The State Government has also committed to three new tertiary hospitals in south east Queensland: a 750-bed hospital on the Gold Coast, a hospital on the Sunshine Coast with an initial 450 beds, and a new 400-bed Queensland Children’s Hospital.

"In the last State Budget the Queensland Government allocated $37.5 million in funding during 2008-09 for the initial stages of new redevelopments at Cairns and Mount Isa hospitals and the new Mackay hospital. 

Mr Robertson said while more beds were important, it was also imperative there were the staff to enable these beds to be opened.

"That is why we are employing more doctors, nurses and allied health staff than ever before.

“I am pleased this report card confirms the Bligh Government’s commitment to making Queensland public hospitals the best in Australia is on track,” he said.

Ends.


MEDIA: Kate Van Poelgeest 3234 1185 or 0458 449 267