Health services given bigger cash injection
TOWNSVILLE’S health budget has received a $ 50 million injection.
The State Government revealed ahead of tomorrow’s Budget announcement that Townsville and North Queensland would share in more than $ 980 million worth of health funding for the 2018- 19 financial year, almost $ 50 million more than the previous 12 months.
Health and Ambulance Services Minister Steven Miles said the funding boost was a commitment to quality health services.
“No matter where in North Queensland you call home, you will have access to high quality healthcare,” Dr Miles said.
Townsville Hospital and Health Service will have its operating budget pumped up to $ 983.8 million for the next 12
months. A m o n g the inv e s t - ments being made, $ 4.7 million will be spent on a second MRI unit at the Townsville Hospital Medical Imaging Department.
The Townsville Hospital Children’s Ward will receive a $ 3.3 million funding increase while $ 16.5 million will be spent to open the Palm Island Primary Care Centre.
As part of a statewide $ 18.3 billion health services and health infrastructure spend, Townsville’s Renal Unit will be extended from 17 chairs to 30 at a cost of $ 5 million.
Other local services set for significant funding include gastrointestinal endoscopy ($ 820,000), community mental health treat- ment ($ 470,000) and $ 1.1 million set aside for extra clinical staff to meet growing health services demand in Queensland correctional facilities.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington announced her plans for health with waiting lists and elective surgery times to be slashed by partnering with the private sector.
She said emergency department wait times were “blowing out” and ambulance ramping had increased by more than 30 per cent under Labor. Ms Frecklington said dental wait list times would also
be reduced by the LNP by increasing options for care.
The Townsville Hospital and Health Service’s 2016- 17 annual report revealed 117,574 patients had been seen in the region’s emergency departments.
Elective surgeries increased by 6 per cent in the area, with 8792 operations undertaken.
Gastroenterology endoscopies increased by 23 per cent up to 3861 procedures for the 2016- 17 financial year.
The report revealed 233 patients were seen each day across the service, while seven babies were born daily and the average length of stay in hospital in 2016- 17 was 3.3 days.