RBWH LAND SALE HITS NORTHSIDE HEALTH SERVICES

Media Release

MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2014

Shadow Health Minister, Jo-Ann Miller, says the Newman Government should explain how its plan to sell off one-third of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital site will hit northside health services.

“The RBWH campus is the biggest in the state and contains a wide range of facilities and services now operated by the Metro North Hospital and Health Service,” Mrs Miller said.

“Selling off 4.8ha of an 18ha hospital site is all part of the Newman Government’s plans to Americanise the state’s health system which means patients and their families paying for services now provided free."

“The LNP even wants patients and their families to pay up to $500 a night for five-star hotel beds instead of patients staying in hospital ward beds."

“The area being sold includes a number of facilities such as the Lady Ramsay Child Care Centre, KidSafe House, Leonard Lodge, the Child and Family Therapy Unit and the Genetic Health Queensland centre."

“What is the future of those facilities and what impact will the sale have on services delivered by the Brisbane North HHS in the city’s northern suburbs, Caboolture, Redcliffe and Kilcoy."

“No matter what weasel words Lawrence Springborg comes up with, one-third of publicly owned land at the RBWH campus is being sold for private, profit-making purposes."

“This is yet another asset sale without the approval of voters and another sale the Premier never mentioned before the 2012 state election."

“If the Minister for Health Cuts and Closures wants to argue it is not a sale he should halt the process, release in full all the project documents, and provide a process for public input and consultation."

“Currently the final outcome of the sale process will result in a decision taken behind closed doors. Taxpayers deserve to know what the LNP Government is up to with our precious hospital assets.”

Mrs Miller said the sale of 4.8ha of the 18ha RBWH site was just the tip of the iceberg of the LNP’s Americanised model of health care.

“The Newman Government wants to force Queenslanders into paying private operators whenever they access previously free hospital services,” she said.

“An on-site hotel allows private operators of clinical services to maximise their profits by avoiding bed and nursing costs while the private hotel operator makes a profit courtesy of their five-star rates for patients and their family members caring for them.”

Mrs Miller said the LNP’s hospital land sale was further evidence of the Newman Government’s twisted priorities.

“In less than two years the LNP has sacked nurses; cut frontline services; and is now forcing doctors to sign WorkChoices-style contracts.

“At the same time the LNP Government is wasting $2.6 billion of taxpayers’ funds on its new but unnecessary Executive Building in the Brisbane CBD and it’s promoting development of a five-star hotel as part of its RBWH land sale where patients and their families and carers will pay $400 to $500 a night for a bed."

“Those are the priorities of the LNP. It sees the public purse and public facilities as its own; puts its own indulgence first; but puts sick Queenslanders a distant last.”