Fears Qld Health’s Gympie nurse clinic will face same cuts as Gladstone’s

The future of a key Gympie health service promised for the region is under a cloud after a similar service at Gladstone was scaled back by almost half, amid claims the project was over-promised and underfunded.

The future of a key Gympie health service promised for the region is under a cloud after a similar service at Gladstone was scaled back by almost half, mid claims the project was over promised and underfunded.

The future operations of Gympie’s new nurse’s clinic is under a cloud after a similar service at Gladstone was scaled back amid claims the project was over-promised and underfunded.

LNP Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Tuesday confirmed the new Gladstone service, which opened the same day, will only be open for less than half the original expected time.

The revelation of the new open hours followed criticism from Labor Opposition Spokesman for Health, Mark Bailey, who said in a Sunday Facebook post a “whistleblower” had informed him of the cutback.

Mr Bailey said the clinics at Gladstone, Gympie, Mt Gravatt, and the Brisbane CBD were originally planned to run from 8am to 10pm seven days a week, a total of 84 hours.

Instead, Mr Nicholls said, the new Gladstone clinic would be open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 5pm Saturdays, a total of 47 hours each week.

The future of a key Gympie health service promised for the region is under a cloud after a similar service at Gladstone was scaled back by almost half, amid claims by Health Minister Tim Nicholls (inset bottom) the project was over promised and underfunded following criticism from Opposition Health Spokesman Mark Bailey.

Mr Bailey said in the post the cuts sparked “genuine fears” similar reductions “will fall on the clinic already open in the Brisbane CBD and the two developing at Mt Gravatt and Gympie”.

“All too quickly the new Crisafulli Government is going down the path of the Campbell Newman style of governing with savage cuts to health services after reassuring people they would not be cut before election day,” Mr Bailey said.

Mr Nicholls returned fire in his statement Tuesday, saying Labor promised something it was never going to be able to deliver.

“(Labor) misled the community about the operation of the Gladstone Nurse-led clinic and it’s just another example of a Labor Health blowout,” Mr Nicholls said.

He said Labor announced the clinic with a budget of “approximately $10 million” but “they over promised and underdelivered”.

Vale Tanda Webb: Tributes flow for Muster matriarch

From Gympie to Hollywood: Rising music star’s big win at ARIA Awards

LNP Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Tuesday confirmed the new Gladstone service, which opened the same day, will only be open for less than half the original expected time.

It was part of a wider $46bn spend which included clinics at Gympie, Brisbane, and Logan.

Mr Nicholls said Labor “failed to secure enough funding to keep the doors open”.

“They didn’t fund the fit-out and leasing costs, leading to further blowouts and overruns,” Mr Nicholls said.

Mr Nicholls did not directly address questions about whether Gympie’s clinic will be run under the same hours, instead of what the former Labour Government promised.

Queensland Health and the Hospital and Health Services and affected unions were now reviewing the opening hours, he said.

Gympie MP and Ag Minister Tony Perrett called Mr Bailey’s comments “cynical and shameless” given the region’s promised clinic was now running at least three months behind schedule.

“The proposed Gympie nurse-led clinic was promised five months ago at the end of July in the shadow of the state election,” Mr Perrett said.

“It was supposed to open by the end of September.

“It won’t open until early next year.”