LNP lists Labor’s surgery ‘failure’
THE state Opposition has taken aim at the government’s “failure to plan” for elective surgeries amid the pandemic.
Queensland Health data shows there were 3603 people waiting for elective surgery at Townsville University Hospital in the October to December quarter.
The LNP says there are a further 13,467 patients on another list just to get on this expanding waiting list.
For category one patients, 86 per cent were treated within the clinically recommended time frame.
In category two, 75 per cent of patients were treated within the recommended time frame.
For category three patients, 76.6 per cent were treated within the recommended time frame.
The Townsville Hospital and Health Service was recently forced to halt elective surgeries as the workload from the pandemic increased.
However, the surgeries have since resumed.
LNP leader David Crisafulli said there were too many people across the state waiting for “life-changing surgery”, adding the blame lay with the government.
“The frontline staff want to take control back from Queensland Health, they want improved triaging when people come to emergency departments, they want better resources and they want data shared in real time,” he said.
Opposition rural and regional affairs spokesman Dale Last said North Queenslanders had had enough, claiming they felt ignored by the government.
“All Queenslanders deserve a first-class health system no matter where they live,” Mr Last said.
“We’ll keep putting forward our positive solutions until it’s fixed.”