THE Queensland Health Crisis continues to deepen with government documents revealing more than 1300 life-changing surgeries were cancelled last year, due to chronic hospital bed shortages.

The surgery cancellations were revealed to the LNP in a Question on Notice and follow alarming revelations hospital beds have been sitting idle due to funding shortages, during the Queensland Health Crisis.

In total, 1361 surgeries were cancelled in 2022, twice the number cancelled in 2020 and the second-highest cancellation figures in Queensland’s history.

Shadow Minister for Health and Registered Nurse Ros Bates said surgery cancellations were a symptom of the Queensland Health Crisis and a direct result of the Palaszczuk Government’s failure to resource and manage hospitals.

“Last year more than 1300 lifesaving and life-changing surgeries were cancelled due to Palaszczuk Government’s health failures,” Ms Bates said.

“These are not ‘nice to have’ surgeries, they are procedures that can have enormous health implications if delayed.

“These surgeries include inserting grommets in a child’s ears, removing cataracts to prevent blindness or inserting a life-saving heart stent.

“Queenslanders deserve explanations and solutions, not excuses about the Queensland Health Crisis.

“The Health Minister must explain why, when Covid-19 is behind us, hundreds of surgeries are still being cancelled across Queensland.”

Ms Bates said under the Palaszczuk Government elective surgery wait times had blown-out, with Queenslanders waiting longer than ever to get the help they needed.

“Under this Government, nearly a quarter of all patients waiting for elective surgeries don’t receive these surgeries on time and nearly 60,000 Queenslanders are now on the Elective Surgery Wait List,” she said.

“The Elective Surgery Wait List has nearly doubled from when the Palaszczuk Labor Government first came to office in 2015.

“After three terms, eight years and four Health Ministers, the Queensland Health Crisis is getting worse, not better, and it’s clear the Palaszczuk Government doesn’t have the solutions we need.

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

“Patient care, not self-promotion, must be the top priority from Photo-op Fentiman, because Queenslanders deserve better.”