LEADER of the Opposition David Crisafulli has today announced the 33rd Queensland Health Crisis Town Hall will be held in Caboolture next week.

It will be the second time Caboolture has hosted the event, after a momentous gathering in 2021.

Mr Crisafulli said the first Town Hall in Caboolture was a turning point in the Queensland Health Crisis.

“Two years ago, our Caboolture Town Hall was a prelude to the shocking state of affairs later uncovered in the Caboolture Hospital Surgical Services Review,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“The stories we heard that day were deeply moving.

“The bravery of those Queenslanders to share their personal experiences in a hall full of strangers helped expose the depths of the Queensland Health Crisis.

“By sharing their stories, meetings and even surgeries were secured for patients who had previously been ignored by the Palaszczuk Government.

“The Queensland Health Crisis has deteriorated even further in the past two years and that’s why we’re once again shining a light on health services in this region.

“The LNP has put health solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis including better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”

Queensland Health figures for the first quarter of 2023 has revealed at Caboolture Hospital:

· Ambulance ramping at 46%.
· 33% of emergency department patients aren’t seen on time.
· 390 patients (up 11) on the elective surgery waiting list.
· 3799 patients (up 112) on the specialist appointment wait list.
· 8 hours 55 minutes the longest wait time in the ED waiting room in Q1 2023.

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said Caboolture patients were paying a high price for the chaos and crisis in the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

“After eight years, three terms and four Health Ministers and no Director-General, the Palaszczuk Labor Government can’t be trusted to fix the Queensland Health Crisis,” Ms Bates said.

“Patient care must always be the top priority.

“Queensland doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals are being let down by the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

“As a registered nurse and former hospital administrator, I look forward to meeting with Caboolture patients at our next Town Hall.

“We will once again take their stories to the floor of the Queensland Parliament.”