{"id":322500,"date":"2022-08-09T21:45:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T11:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=322500"},"modified":"2022-08-10T22:44:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T12:44:53","slug":"qld-hospitals-in-crisis-lnp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/08\/09\/qld-hospitals-in-crisis-lnp\/","title":{"rendered":"Qld Hospitals In Crisis: LNP"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Opposition Leader David Crisafulli addressing the public meeting on Tuesday morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 9, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kingaroy hosted the LNP’s 20th “health crisis” public meeting on Tuesday morning, attracting a crowd of almost 200 residents to St John’s Lutheran School Hall.<\/p>\n

The State Opposition has been holding public meetings across Queensland in recent months to collect stories that paint a picture of a health system in crisis.<\/p>\n

Attendees at Kingaroy – which included current and former Queensland Health staff – were invited to share their stories about treatment delays, postponed surgery and nurse\/patient ratios.<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, who chaired the meeting, said the the Kingaroy gathering was the largest held so far across the State.<\/p>\n

He said that when he looked at health statistics, every one was “going in the wrong direction”, eg. 50 per cent of people do not get seen on time in Kingaroy Hospital’s Emergency Department while Queensland Health is spending more than $10 million a month across the State on locum doctors to fill gaps.<\/p>\n

Mr Crisafulli said staff in Queensland hospitals had never felt less valued.<\/p>\n

He promised that incidents shared from the floor, or in private sessions afterwards, would be raised immediately with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and also taken “straight to the floor of Parliament House to demand action and change”.<\/p>\n

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates, a former nurse of 40 years, took a roving microphone around the room so people could ask questions and share their experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She said the State Government had accused the LNP of “making up stories” about what was happening in Queensland hospitals but the attendance at the LNP’s public meetings showed otherwise.<\/p>\n

Ms Bates said doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied healthcare workers were exhausted and deserved more respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it can get for the staff who are doing everything they can to keep our hospitals running,” Ms Bates said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe embattled Health Minister doesn\u2019t have a plan to fix it. What has this State Government been doing for the last seven years to improve our hospitals?\u201d<\/p>\n

One nurse told the meeting how she would go home crying after working in palliative care because she did not have enough time to hold a patient’s hand or even give them their pain medication on schedule.<\/p>\n

A mother spoke about being terrified at Kingaroy Hospital when she attended with her young child and a mental health patient became violent and abusive but there was no security staff to help.<\/p>\n

Ms Bates said nurses and other staff were being assaulted regularly in Queensland Hospitals, but these assaults were often not reported.<\/p>\n

Nanango MP Deb Frecklington said the local health system had been struggling for years with staff shortages and the withdrawal of critical healthcare services.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cToday multiple nurses spoke out and revealed they had walked away from their careers because they felt undervalued,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mrs Frecklington said one father explained how his seven-year-old son\u2019s surgery was cancelled at the last minute.<\/p>\n

\u201cA mother waited with her son to be seen for seven hours in the Emergency Department,” she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese problems existed long before COVID and the people of Kingaroy and neighbouring areas just want the State Government to fix it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire region is suffering because of the lack of health services. Labor simply does not have a plan to fix regional health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more investment in mental health, palliative care and paediatric services.”<\/p>\n

Mr Crisafulli said the LNP’s suggestions to help fix the crisis included the Federal Government giving a HECs incentive to new doctors willing to work in regional areas, as well as financial incentives to help their\u00a0families relocate.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Mr Crisafulli speaking to Wengenville residents Shirley Smith and Roy Godbee before the meeting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Shadow Minister Ros Bates took a roving microphone around the room so people could share their experiences and ask questions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A strong contingent of South Burnett councillors was present, including Crs Scott Henschen, Jane Erkens and Danita Potter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Raw video of Tuesday’s media conference ahead of the meeting at St John’s Hall (video supplied by LNP):<\/strong><\/p>\n