No Hospital Is Safe From Springborg’s $3 Billion Cuts

Media Release.

Shadow Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller says the closure of Eidsvold Hospital and eviction of elderly residents from a Wynnum nursing home by this June show no hospital, frontline service, or job in the state’s health system is safe from the $3 billion in cuts the LNP is imposing on regional health boards.

Speaking from Moura where the hospital is also to be shut by the LNP government Mrs Miller said the LNP had sold out the rural and regional communities it pledged before the election to serve.

“Just like Moura, the Eidsvold Hospital is in the electorate of the Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney who clearly has no interest in serving the people in either centre,” Mrs Miller said.

“Before the election the Premier promised to deliver better frontline health services but ever since then all we have seen are cuts and closures.

“Today we find that not only is Eidsvold Hospital to shut to, but the LNP government is insisting elderly and frail nursing home residents of the Moreton Bay Aged Care Unit at Wynnum are to be forced out by June.

“In addition the Minister for Health Cuts and Closures, Lawrence Springborg continues to mislead Queenslanders into thinking a 21% or $600 million rise in federal health funding to our state over the next four years is a ‘cut’.

“Federal health funding to Queensland will rise from $3.1 billion this year to $3.7 billion in 2015-16, yet Mr Springborg claims that is a ‘cut’.

“The fact is the hospital closures and eviction of elderly Queenslanders from nursing homes is due to the $3 billion in budget cuts Mr Springborg has imposed on the state’s health and hospital boards over the next four years.

“The closures and job losses we are seeing at present are only the first round. There are three more years of Springborg cuts to go.

“Mr Springborg should today detail the next three years of cuts he is imposing on the state’s Hospital and Health Boards.”

Mrs Miller said the Springborg cuts over four years included:

•  $944 million from regional hospital and health board budgets

•  a further $1.7 billion in wages by slashing almost 2,800 jobs in hospitals and health services across the state

•  a $120 million cutback in health grants to community and illness prevention organisations, and

•  $283 million in other cuts to Queensland Health spending.

“Instead of misleading people about federal funding that is increasing, Mr Springborg might like to start earning his $6,000 a week pay packet by explain what other hospitals will close and what other services will shut in the next three years,” she said.