Politicians need to stop worrying about who gets the credit and give the people what they need

What comes first, the MRI machine or the Medicare subsidised licence? Like the chicken and egg debate - it depends on who you ask. Either way this busy hospital north of Brisbane needs both.

Redcliffe Hospital does not have an MRI machine.

A senate inquiry found Redcliffe Hospital, north of Brisbane, needs a subsidised Medicare MRI licence more than any other hospital in the Metro North Hospital and Health Service catchment.

But instead of finding a solution State and Federal governments are trying to use the issue to raise its profile in the lead up the next Federal election.

In the lead up to the Longman By-Election in July, Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten announced that either Redcliffe or Caboolture hospital would receive a Medicare subsidised MRI licence.

Last week he announced, after a campaign led by Federal Labor Candidate for Petrie Corinne Mulholland, a licence would go to Redcliffe Hospital — if Labor were to be elected at next year’s Federal Election.

In response Federal LNP MP for Petrie Luke Howarth and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced it had 30 licences to give away. They stated that state health ministers and organisations would have to apply for the licence.

Health Minister Steven Miles and Federal LNP MP for Petrie Luke Howarth cut the ribbon to officially open the Boundary Rd overpass last year.

Mr Howarth said 10 of the 30 would go to those who had previously written to the government requesting a licence before the application process was opened.

Mr Howarth said he was “confident” he could get a licence approved for Redcliffe Hospital if State Health Minister Steven Miles applied.

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“I’ll get the licence but there is a process it has to go through,” Mr Howarth said.

He said State Health Minister Steven Miles had until November 2 to submit his application for a licence at Redcliffe Hospital.

As part of the process he will have to show plans to buy an MRI machine for the hospital by April 30, 2019.

Despite being asked multiple times Mr Miles is yet to state whether or not he plans to apply for the licence.

“Up until this week there was no way to apply for an MRI licence. There was no application process to obtain Medicare eligibility,” Mr Miles said.

“Now instead of granting Redcliffe Hospital a much needed licence, the LNP have created a new application process. What’s worse is the Federal Government won’t announce the successful applications till March 2019 at the earliest.”

Redcliffe Hospital does not have an MRI machine.

Despite being asked, Mr Miles would not say how much a MRI machine would cost or if there was room at Redcliffe Hospital for an MRI machine.

“Without a licence, purchasing an MRI machine, would place a significant ongoing cost burden to Redcliffe Hospital. This is funding that could otherwise be spent on employing additional staff or performing more surgeries,” Mr Miles said.

Mr Howarth said the State would not be expected to purchase the machine until the licence had been approved.

Surely these two politicians can work together to deliver an MRI machine and licence, which a Senate inquiry found was needed, to Redcliffe Hospital.