Former Wallabies coach John Connolly slams state government over spinal investment

Spinal patient John Connolly has slammed the state government for lagging on spinal injury services investment as it prepares to pump billions of dollars into Games infrastructure.

Former Wallabies coach and spinal injury patient John Connolly. Picture supplied

Former Wallabies coach John Connolly has slammed the state government for lagging on spinal injury services investment as it prepares to pump billions of dollars into Olympic Games infrastructure projects.

It comes after Health Minister Tim Nicholls this week doubled down on the decision to abandon plans for a $495m purpose-built spinal injury unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, blasting Labor’s “flawed” business case as a political knee-jerk reaction.

Mr Nicholls accused the former government of failing spinal patients for a decade, saying Labor only commissioned the $5m business case after this mastheads' explosive 2023 reports revealed shocking conditions at the existing PA unit – including patients left lying in their own waste and being subjected to invasive treatments in shared spaces.

“A nine week business case that recommended the demolition of four buildings that didn’t consult clinicians, and that would see a net increase of 23 beds -ad that clearly is an unfeasible proposition,” he said.

“It was a band aid at best.”

Opposition Health spokesman Mark Bailey hit back, accusing Mr Nicholls of sitting on the business case for eight months before ruling it out.

Mr Connolly, who spent months in the old PA unit after suffering broken neck from a 2m fall at his Sunshine Coast home, said the issue transcended politics and urged the government to stop “kicking the can down the road”.

“This should be a priority on top of the list, and if it’s not, I think we have our values skewed,” he said.

“I don’t think you can put a dollar value on these things, you know, we can’t spend it on this, but we can spend it on swimming pools.

“I understand the current government are doing their own research into it, but we can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”

Former Wallabies coach and spinal injury patient John Connolly and Opposition Health spokesman Mark Bailey. Picture supplied

The Courier-Mail this week confirmed the state government will not invest money building a new unit at the PA and will instead go back to the drawing board to consider potential expansions or upgrades to the existing Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) next to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and the Townsville Hospital spinal unit, as well as broadening its spinal treatment services in the regions.

Mr Connolly called on Mr Nicholls to provide a clear timeline of investment.

“We had success with getting the $30m, which is being spent (on upgrades) in the spinal unit,” he said.

“At the moment, it's still inadequate.

“There’s young girls in hospital with spinal bleeds, young men that fallen from skateboards, motorcycle accidents, and their life has changed forever, and for their sake, we’ve got to really move this process forward.”