IN A stunning revelation, the Health Minister has revealed she would be happy with ambulance ramping of 28 per cent in Queensland.
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Ros Bates said Labor’s high tolerance for ambulance ramping should send shockwaves across Queensland for patients and our dedicated frontline staff.
“By her own admission, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman’s goal for ambulance ramping is 28%,” Ms Bates said.
“Yes, 28%.
“That’s her goal.
“That’s her mission accomplished.
“This is an extraordinary admission from a Health Minister who clearly can’t run our hospitals.
“That’s nearly one in three patients.
“Shannon Fentiman is happy for a third of all Queenslanders to be ramped in the back of an ambulance.
“This is around the same figure when former Premier Anna Bligh described Queensland Health as a basket case.
“This should not be the new benchmark, new standard or the new normal.
“Even the Health Department has a goal of 10% ramping, not 28%.
“These are Queenslanders, not numbers on a spreadsheet.
“We are talking about our mums, dads, grandparents and kids who deserve a world class health system no matter where they live.
“Queensland has world renowned medical staff who are being grossly let down by the chaos and crisis within the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“When Labor came to office in 2015 ambulance ramping was 15%, but since then the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Government has driven ramping levels to extraordinary record highs.
“After eight years, three terms and four Health Ministers, the Palaszczuk Labor Government can’t be trusted to fix the Queensland Health Crisis.
“Shannon Fentiman is more interested in using a government jet to swan around the state and take happy snaps with her own photographer.
“If Shannon Fentiman is to going to fix ambulance ramping she has to bring more than cake and photo opportunities to the table.
“If Shannon Fentiman thinks 28% ramping is acceptable, then Queenslanders will continue to be in a world of hurt under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.”