Springborg Must Explain Health Cutbacks.

A media release from the Shadow Health Minister for Queensland Jo-Ann Miller:

Shadow Health Minister, Jo-Ann Miller, says the LNP government has not ruled out cuts to oral health services in Brisbane as well as cancer services in Toowoomba, Townsville, Hervey Bay, Mount Isa, Bundaberg and Rockhampton.

“If the LNP government is to stoop as low as cutting funding for oral health or cancer services it needs to say so now, and not sneak out the announcement after dark as it usually does with its bad news,” Mrs Miller said.

“In State Parliament today Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, claimed all health services would gain a funding boost in the State Budget.

“How then does he explain suggestions that oral health services in the Metro North health region have been told to cut their budgets and the jobs of three part time dentists will disappear?

“I am advised that the Metro North health region’s oral health services have been told to make payroll savings of $1.75 million to its $30 million budget. That’s a cut of about 6%.

“I also understand that within the Metro North region management at the Brisbane Dental Hospital have been told to find labour cost savings of at least $200,000 and possibly up to $550,000 out of a $6 million.

“Oral health services at Royal Children’s Hospital including surgery on cleft palates in infants have been asked to find savings of $100,000 to $150,000.

”How does that all sit with Mr Springborg’s assertions of funding boosts?”

Mrs Miller said she was also concerned about information from within Queensland Health about possible cuts to vital cancer services.

“The Health Minister today attacked funding arrangements of Commonwealth/State health programs, leaving the door open to cuts to state funding components,” she said.

“I am told that the LNP is considering rolling back the state component of the Regional Cancer Centres scheme as part of the Newman Government’s cuts to frontline services.

“Any cuts to the state government’s funding of the RCC program is likely to come from scaling back components covering the operation and equipping of the RCCs.”

Mrs Miller said the federal government committed more than $164 million over four years for Regional Cancer Centre capital funding for projects in Toowoomba, Townsville, Hervey Bay, Mount Isa, Bundaberg and Rockhampton as part of total national funding of $560 million announced in the 2009-10 Federal Budget. Most of the RCCs in Queensland are in the final planning or building phase.

The federal funding was to be on top of the previous state government’s commitment of $105 million over four years from 2010-11 to staff, equip and operate the RCCs.