Jessica Marszalek: LNP will haunt Labor with health issues for the next four years — if they let them

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath must feel she’s fighting a battle on all fronts as complaints of a health crisis continue to pile up, writes Jessica Marszalek.

As far as theatre goes, it was perfect.

Education Minster Grace Grace, with all the disdain a minister can muster around an opposition question a government doesn’t want to answer, rose in parliament to take umbrage to the story of “Trevor from Caloundra”.

The poor bloke, so Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s tale went, had waited two hours for an ambulance while suffering a serious heart problem and another eight hours at emergency until a doctor could see him.

Walked into that one … Education Minister Grace Grace during Question Time. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“Is Trevor’s story more proof that Labor is losing control of Queensland Health?” Crisafulli shot in the latest real-world example the LNP have been offering parliament’s Question Time as it keeps the pressure up on the health crisis.

But Grace (inset) wasn’t sold. Rising to a point of order, there was no authentication of this case, she complained. It was then that the triumphant Leader of the Opposition Jarrod Bleijie rose to deliver the line.

“The opposition can authenticate Trevor. He is sitting in the public gallery today,” he bellowed to raucous scenes.

Oops! Walked into that one.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath must feel she’s fighting a battle on all fronts as complaints of a health crisis continue to pile up.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

We’ve heard for weeks of the ramping crisis, in which ‘bed block’ – that’s when a hospital doesn’t have enough spare beds – is causing ambulances to sit ramped at emergency departments.

It means patients are waiting for care, either in the back of an ambulance at EDs, on an uncomfortable chair inside, or worse, at their homes because there’s no spare paramedics to respond.

The Australian Medical Association, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, United Worker’s Union and Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union have all been vocal in calling for changes to address the stressed system, from a doubling of beds at some hospitals to more community care delivered at home.

The fact doctors and health workers are publicly driving a campaign for greater funding and system changes should be noted here.

AMAQ President Dr Chris Perry addressing media at Parliament House. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

Not to mention the fact that internal funding cuts to Hospital and Health Services – totalling $550 million in 2021-22 – were leaked this past sitting week as irate HHS bosses steam over the idea they’re being blamed for budget black holes while feeling they are being underfunded.

The political gold in this issue for the LNP is that it isn’t being driven by politicians.

This past week, more big voices joined the calls that are only growing louder.

With a Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill now before the parliament, palliative care providers are making their voices heard around the crumbling state of the system that’s meant to provide comfort to people in their last months.

Palliative Care Queensland and the AMA says an additional $275 million a year is required to provide adequate care to all terminally-ill Queenslanders.

That’s a lot more than the $171 million investment over six years the Palaszczuk Government has announced to date.

Now palliative care providers are ramping up their political campaign, as revealed in The Sunday-Mail today, writing to every MP to make it clear they’ll keep pushing for this. They’re going nowhere.

Palliative care insiders say $275m a year is needed to fix Queensland’s underfunded system. Picture: Supplied

“Palliative care services in Queensland are grossly underfunded and under resourced, denying people choice about their end-of-life care and forcing thousands of palliative patients and their families to endure prolonged suffering and grief,” it says.

And they’re right.

Meanwhile, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists dropped their own surprise bomb as the week ended, warning Queensland’s mental health system is “on the brink of collapse”.

They say burnt-out staff are struggling to cope with spiralling demand, overwhelming the public and private systems, and they’re having to turn people away.

They’ve called for immediate action combined with a review of Queensland’s mental health system by the Queensland Mental Health Commission.

Medical groups say health workers are burnt-out across the board. Picture: Supplied

D’Ath has already conceded her medical staff have been “overwhelmed” and “exhausted” in the past year dealing with the pandemic, that Queensland doesn’t have enough hospital beds to cope with “unsustainable” demand and major reforms are needed.

She was right to concede as much and has talked up her appetite for reform to fix the problems. Good luck to her.

Because the government can’t keep pointing to other jurisdictions where the situation is the same – even though it is – and saying ‘but it’s not our fault’.

I doubt that really resonates with all the Trevors from Caloundra out there.

As one minister asked this week, how long will the LNP keep focusing on health in Question Time?

I reckon the next four years, if you let them.