More Healthcare Closer to Home.
Queenslanders deserve world-class public healthcare.
That’s why the Miles Labor Government are delivering more hospital beds, investing in our health workers and providing more health services.
The evidence shows that our plan is working.
In the face of record demand, we are seeing improvements across almost every measure.
We’re seeing more ED patients sooner and getting our hardworking ambos back on the road faster.
The latest Queensland Health data shows that across almost every measure, the system is improving.
But we know there’s more to do.
After a tough few years, we’re starting to move forward again – but a change of government puts all that at risk.
We’re delivering more beds and brand-new hospitals.
Steven knows how important it is to ensure we have free, accessible healthcare close to home.
Our Health Big Build is delivering more than 2,200 new beds, including 11 hospital expansions, 7 Satellite Hospitals, 3 new hospitals and a new Queensland Cancer Centre across our state.
The Health Big Build will create more than 22,000 construction jobs and provide our world-class health workers with the resources they need to treat more patients, sooner.
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And if elected in October we’re going to do even more.
Following the success of seven Satellite Hospitals delivered across South East Queensland – which have already provided critical care to more than 160,000 patients, we’ll deliver seven new Satellite Hospitals across Queensland.
These satellite hospitals will be built in:
• Cairns
• Mackay
• Rockhampton
• Yarrabilba
• Beenleigh
• Sunshine Coast
• Fraser Coast
Satellite Hospitals will take pressure off our busy emergency departments and will deliver free, world-class health care, closer to home.
More satellite hospitals, more beds.
If elected in October, only the Miles Labor Government will deliver more than 3580 new hospital beds for Queenslanders.
And we will invest $1.6 billion to delivery stage 2 of the Redland Hospital expansion, adding 181 beds, 48 treatment places in a brand new emergency department, with two extra operating theatres, if elected in October. This project will generate more than 3,000 construction jobs and build on our record of delivering stage 1 of the expansion.
We will also upgrade and expand the Mareeba Hospital – backed by $20 million in funding to deliver 16 emergency department beds, two additional resuscitation spaces, an extra isolation space, two additional adult and paediatric spaces and a safe assessment room.
And we will invest $50 million to upgrade the Emergency Department at Rockhampton Hospital, with master planning already underway to identify the infrastructure needed to meet the growing region’s needs and improve patient flow.
Better mental health services.
Only Labor is committed to a mental health levy.
We will continue to strengthen our mental health service system delivering an unprecedented investment of more than $1.9 billion in mental health alcohol and other drugs services over five years, thanks to our mental health levy.
This is delivering more and diverse mental health, alcohol and other drug services across Queensland, and it represents our commitment to continuously improving the support provided to people accessing mental health services, their family, carers and support people.
More GPs in more places.
GPs play a vital role in delivering healthcare in regions across the state.
Queensland doctors will be able to receive a $40,000 boost to train as General Practitioners up until 2030, if the Miles Labor Government is re-elected.
We will also incentivise GPs to undergo training in obstetrics and anaesthetics, to increase access to birthing services in rural areas.
It’s part of our comprehensive Workforce Attraction Plan.
We’ll also protect bulk billing by legislating to ensure that no payroll tax is payable for contracted general practitioners, in line with longstanding practice within the industry and the amnesty introduced by our government
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This is all at risk under the LNP.
The LNP have said they want to “break the back” of health workers’ pay and conditions, and have released a health plan that forecasts massive pay cuts for thousands of health staff.
Not only have they committed to cutting beds, they’ve also committed to cutting staff.
Our Workforce Plan released earlier this year outlines that we need almost 46,000 health staff by 2032, but the LNP only committed to 34,200.
The LNP have already announced plans to cut nearly 12,000 operational workers, including anaesthetic technicians, biomedical technicians, cleaners, wardies and other non-clinical positions.
Without those staff, our hospitals will grind to a halt.
When last in government the LNP sacked 14,000 public servants, including 4,400 health workers.
More at Pharmacies.
We are committed to making access to over-the-counter treatment and medication easier. If re-elected, the Miles Labor Government will make Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot and Community Pharmacy Hormonal Contraception Pilot permanent.
They are an innovative way to ensure Queenslanders have more options to access quality healthcare – particularly in a state as decentralised as Queensland. They will supplement, not replace, existing services.
We’re backing our healthcare heroes.
World-class healthcare is only made possible by the hardworking health heroes on our frontline.
As the Health Minister during the pandemic, Steven knows that our health heroes make the difference every day.
Since Labor came into government, we have employed an additional 23,000 health workers to meet the demand for our world-class health system, restoring our frontline health services after they were decimated by the LNP.
A re-elected Miles Government will fast track a major boost to our health frontline to deliver 46,451 health workers by 2032.
That includes another 15,875 front-line health workers over the next four years alone.
• 8,555 more nurses
• 2,694 more health practitioners
• 2,626 more doctors; and
• 2,000 more ambulance officers
That’s in addition to support for the front-line including 3,939 more administration staff and 1,290 more operational support staff over the next four years.
This is the biggest increase in health staff in Queensland’s history.
These staff will work in our new and expanded hospitals, as we deliver a record number of additional hospital beds across the state.
We have been able to do this by working with our trade union partners to deliver some of the best pay and conditions in the country for our health workforce.
We’ve also led the nation in legislating nurse-to-patient ratios to keep our health professionals and patients safe.
Our Plan to Fix Bulk Billing.
An elected Miles government will invest $365 million to establish 50 bulk billing GP clinics in an unprecedented move to fix primary care, which has historically been a Commonwealth responsibility.
Bulk billing has been declining on the back of a decade of neglect by the former Federal LNP government, placing more pressure on our hospital emergency departments, with both presentations and worsening chronic conditions.
These 50 clinics will mean more Queenslanders will have a bulk billing clinic, no matter where they live.
We’ll also protect bulk billing by legislating to ensure that no payroll tax is payable for contracted general practitioners, in line with longstanding practice within the industry and the amnesty introduced by our government
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