Tuesday 18 June 2013

Vital Regional Services And Jobs To Go As LNP Privatises Health

Media Release.

Critically important medical services at regional Queensland hospitals are due to be privatised in the latest round of attacks on frontline services by the Newman Government.
In Rockhampton today, Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Newman Government had been caught out in its secret plan to start the process of privatising vital hospital services by moving to full commercialisation.
“A leaked Queensland Health memo shows the Newman Government is starting its hospital privatisation push by outsourcing services including pathology and laundry that are now delivered through local hospitals,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The memo says a newly appointed head of the Health Services Support Agency will be implementing the ‘full commercialisation’ of those services."
“That means the ultimate privatisation of services through outsourcing and the potential loss of jobs and services at Pathology Queensland laboratories at 23 regional public hospitals — including Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald Hospitals — and a further nine hospitals in the south-east corner.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the move would have a devastating effect on medical services in the regions and shattered a key promise of the Newman government not to axe frontline services.
“This is a decision by a Premier that looked Queensland in the eye and told public servants they were safe and so were our frontline health services,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Clearly this Premier never had any intention of honouring that promise – 14,000 Queenslanders found out about that the hard way."
“It also flies in the face of repeated claims by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg that there will be no privatisation at existing state-run hospitals."
“Now hundreds more jobs are likely to go as the Premier and the Health Minister take such critical frontline medical services as pathology and laundry and linen services and put them on track for sale."
“That will mean higher costs for patients as private operators put profit as their top priority."
“That will mean the sack for the hundreds of workers currently employed in Pathology Queensland laboratories across the state for decades."
“These are the professionals who for decades Queenslanders have trusted to look after them – they are at the forefront of diagnosing disease and now they are being shown the door."
“Frontline services like this should not be the plaything of a government to sell off as it pleases."
“They belong to Queenslanders and Campbell Newman and his government have deceived everyone by promising they would stay in public ownership and then putting them to market.”
Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne said the LNP had been gearing up to slash health services since shortly after the March 2012 election.
“At least now we know the truth about why services have been downsized and amalgamated and why hundreds of staff were sacked over the past year,” Mr Byrne said."
“It was because the government – from the get-go – planned to outsource services such as these."
“They had a secret plan to sell and now they have taken the first step toward privatisation by moving to full commercialisation."
“Mr Newman and Mr Springborg can dress it up any way they like but they have now been caught out."
“It is a disgrace and Queenslanders know a broken promise when they see one. This latest broken promise should appal everyone,” he said.

Media Contact: 0408 975 225

Full list of hospitals with Pathology Queensland laboratories:
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND: Emerald Hospital; Gladstone Hospital; Rockhampton Hospital
CENTRAL WEST QUEENSLAND: Longreach Hospital
DARLING DOWNS: Dalby Hospital; Roma Hospital; Toowoomba Hospital; Warwick Hospital
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND: Atherton Hospital; Cairns Hospital; Innisfail Hospital; Thursday Island Hospital
FRASER COAST: Hervey Bay Hospital
GOLD COAST: Gold Coast Hospital; Robina Hospital
MACKAY/WHITSUNDAYS: Mackay Hospital
NORTH QUEENSLAND: Townsville Hospital
NORTH WEST QUEENSLAND: Mount Isa Hospital
SOUTH-WEST QUEENSLAND: Charleville Hospital
SUNSHINE COAST: Gympie Hospital; Nambour Hospital
WIDE BAY/BURNETT: Bundaberg Hospital; Kingaroy Hospital
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND: Caboolture Hospital; Central Hospital (RBWH); Ipswich Hospital; Logan Hospital; Prince Charles Hospital; Princess Alexandra Hospital; QEII Hospital; Redcliffe Hospital; Redland Hospital

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