Queensland election 2024: David Crisafulli reveals LNP’s $500m health services plan

David Crisafulli has announced the LNP’s $500m health services plan, describing it as “detailed” seven times and a “seismic shift” five times. Steven Miles says it’s just “plain dumb”.

David Crisafulli announces the LNP’s $500m health services plan in Mt Gravatt today. Picture: Liam Kidston.

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Ambulance ramping will be cut to below 30 per cent by the end of LNP’s first term in office and Queensland’s elective surgery waitlist will stop growing after its first 12 months in office Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has declared.

Mr Crisafulli has also vowed to set his Health Minister “stepping stone” ambulance ramping targets in the LNP’s first budget, should they be elected after October 26.

The LNP’s health services plan, described by Mr Crisafulli as “detailed” no less than seven times and representing a “seismic shift” five times, also takes in planks of the government’s existing plan — including its hospital bed build program and workforce strategy.

Premier Steven Miles, in Bundaberg, labelled the plan “plain dumb”, arguing the government is already doing many of the things announced.

Premier Steven Miles, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith visit the site of the new Bundaberg hospital. Picture: Adam Head

Mr Miles, at the construction site of Bundaberg’s new hospital, announced a pipeline of 2500 more beds to bring the total number of new beds to 3400.

“We’ve seen some of the detail from the LNP’s plan announced today and it amounts to a reduction in the number of beds that we intend to deliver,” he said.

Mr Miles said hospital and health workers were already on boards.

The LNP’s pledge to reduce ambulance ramping to 30 per cent by the end of 2028 was not matched by Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, however she said the government has a target to return it to 28 per cent.

“I want to see us return as quickly as possible to pre-Covid levels which is better than that (30 per cent),” she said.

Premier Steven Miles speaking in Bundaberg today. Picture: Adam Head

But Mr Crisafulli was adamant the LNP, despite sticking to Labor’s existing bed build pipeline, would be able to “free up capacity” in the system.

“I’m very confident that this is a plan that can give immediate relief, but also long term relief, and we’re willing to back it up with proof,” he said.

The LNP’s $590m health services plan includes signing up to Queensland Health’s 2032 workforce strategy — which involves adding 34,200 clinicians including 18,781 nurses and midwives.

The plan also includes a commitment to upgrade the digital hospital mapping technology to improve hospital workflows and “maximise availability of hospital beds”.

Doctors in acute admission units would be offered better pay, equal to 25 per cent loading, to work weekends so patients can be discharged seven days a week.

Shadow Health and Ambulance Services minister Ross Bates. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The LNP promised to install nine CT and six MRI machines in existing “satellite hospitals” — which they will rename for a cost yet to be determined — and regional hospitals.

Despite the pledge, the state government maintained its attack over the LNP’s satellite hospitals plan.

“They still haven’t committed to the new satellite hospitals in regional Queensland,” Ms Fentiman said.

“Where’s their funding for the additional satellite hospitals that we have committed to this election, some of our satellite hospitals, of course, already have that equipment, and they’re doing fantastic jobs.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, with Premier Steven Miles and Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith, in Bundaberg today. Picture: Adam Head

“The LNP have never supported our satellite hospitals. “They have rubbished them from day one, and they have still not committed to satellite hospitals in the regions.”

But the biggest targets from Mr Crisafulli’s health plan is a bold promise to cut ambulance ramping to under 30 per cent by the end of the LNP’s first term, stop the growth of the elective surgery waitlist after his first 12 months in office, and reinstate maternity services at Biloela and Cooktown.

As it stands about 45 per cent of patients are waiting more than 30 minutes to get into the emergency department when they arrive by ambulance.

Mr Crisafulli plans to get this figure to under 30 per cent.

“By the end of the term, the Queensland ambulance ramping figure will be under 30 per cent for first time in almost half a decade. As part of it, we will roll out a road map with yearly stepping stones to get there,” he said.

“Queensland will hold us accountable if we can’t get it to the figure I’ve outlined.”

As at June 2024 a whopping 61,421 people were on the elective surgery waitlist in Queensland — the highest ever recorded. Concurrently, the health system treated 37,682 elective surgery patients — also the highest on record.

Mr Crisafulli said under the LNP elective surgery would not rise from 12 months after the waiting list for “this quarter” was known.

“We will not have more rises once we get through the first year. It will be a reduction. It must be a reduction,” he said.

The LNP have also promised to reinstate maternity services at Biloela and Cooktown, though they have set no deadline on those promises.