The LNP has called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to sack the Labor Health Minister following a series of disastrous policy failures.
LNP Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates condemned Health Minister Steven Miles’ shocking record in Parliament today and warned the health of Queenslanders was too important to risk.
“We have a public health system lurching from crisis to crisis and our Dr Doolittle Health Minister Steven Miles hasn’t even been in the job 12 months yet,” Ms Bates said.
“The annual report dump last week once again showed that our health system is in complete meltdown – elective surgery and emergency department times have blown out while other hospitals are struggling to stay afloat financially.
“As a nurse, I understand that our hard-working nurses, midwives, doctors and paramedics need more support on the frontline to improve patient care.
“The sick and injured who rely on the public health system just expect Steven Miles to do his job and improve patient care.
“Queenslanders deserve a world-class public health system that the Palaszczuk Labor Government isn’t delivering.
“Mr Miles’ twisted priorities are highlighted by the extraordinary decision to rename the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital – wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars in the process.
“The health of Queenslanders is too important to risk, but Steven Miles is clearly out of his depth, not across his brief and not up to his job.
“It’s time the Premier showed some leadership on health and sacked this incompetent Minister.
“While Labor focuses on changing names of hospitals, an LNP Government led by Deb Frecklington would focus on delivering the world-class public health system Queenslanders deserve.”
Private Members’ Motion by Mudgeeraba MP and Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates:
This House condemns the Health Minister for his policy failures and wrong priorities, including:
- Changing the name of the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, without speaking to the Cilento family beforehand, rather than improving health services for our sickest kids;
- Failing to publicly explain the ‘Tissue Bank’ matter where cancerous tissue was given to four children, and the release of the mental health reports relating to the death of Manmeet Sharma;
- Failing to accept Westminster Ministerial responsibility and seeking to divert blame to his Department for an “error of judgement made at middle management level” when the Gold Coast HHS tried to outsource services provided to senior residents under the Commonwealth Home Support Program;
- Labelling the rollout of the Integrated electronic Medical Record an “incredible success” despite doctors losing confidence, regular system outages and a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation;
- Breaking a pre-election commitment by delaying a new mental health facility in Mackay by one year;
- Only providing an additional 6 beds for the Ipswich Hospital which is still more than four years away and well behind forecasted requirements;
- Overseeing ambulance ramping levels at 25% that has continued to increase;
- Blaming a typo in a government fact sheet for delays to stage 2 of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital;
- Breaking an election commitment by delaying the rollout of the new ICE rehabilitation facility in Rockhampton;
- Cutting funding to the IDEAS van; and
- Ongoing threats to regional maternity services.