Federal MP to meet with Qld health over health crisis

Hospital funding shortfalls have been at the centre of a bitter spat between the Federal and State government but critical talks are finally set to be held to unpack the Redland Hospital crisis.

Queensland Health and the Federal MP for the coastal seat of Bowman at the centre of the Redland Hospital crisis will finally meet this week to discuss the bitter feud that has erupted over health funding in the region.

With all levels of governments, including local council, claiming the hospital is in urgent need of funding, Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles yesterday invited Federal MP for Bowman Andrew Laming to meet with Deputy Director-General Health Purchasing and Systems Performance Nick Steele to discuss the “interplay between State and Federal government (health) contributions”.

Last week Redland City Mayor Karen Williams called on both levels of government to commit to increasing funding for the regional service.

Mayor calls for public funding to fix hospital service shortfalls

Doctor goes public on Redland Hospital crisis

On a variety of social media platforms Mr Laming has slammed Queensland Health for cutting funding to the Redland Hospital and Metro South Health Budgets, while Minister Steven Miles also accused Mr Laming and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of pulling funding from the Redlands Hospital crippling its budgets.

With the Prime Minister on the Redlands Coast last week, Mr Miles called on the Federal Government to reverse $52.7 million in cuts to Metro South and Redland Hospital.

But Mr Laming disputed the claims saying there had been no Federal Government cuts, only year on year increases to the Queensland Health budget.

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Hospital services at Redland Hospital are at the centre of a funding dispute between State and Federal government.

The war of words has cast confusion over how funding from the Commonwealth is distributed within the Queensland health budget.

In his letter to Mr Laming, Mr Miles acknowledged “health and the interplay between government contributions is a very complex policy area”.

Mr Laming, who accepted the invitation to speak with Mr Steele said he had been prepared to meet with Queensland Health officials “anytime anyplace” but an invitation, until yesterday, had not been forthcoming.

In contrast, Mr Miles’ office also said it had previously extended an offer “to arrange a briefing for Mr Laming with Department of Health officials so that he no longer spreads misleading information about the level of funding provided for health services to the Redlands community”.

In correspondence to the Minister Miles in January, Mr Laming raised questions about Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) data which he said showed Commonwealth funding in 2017/18 for Metro South region increase from $586m to $669m in contrast to the $1,081 to $1,042 fall in State funding.

“Adjusting for 3.5 per cent health inflation, the Coalition 10.5 per cent increase contrasted with a 7.1 per cent fall in Labor contribution.”

He asked for clarification on the data including “if the Queensland contribution to Metro South in FY 2017/18 was $1,042 million we ask what proprotion of that was to Redland Hospital in order to determine how much of the $39 million fall was born by our facility.

“Second, we seek the State contribution for 2018/19,” Mr Laming said.

Mr Laming is to meet with Mr Steele later this week to discuss concerns.

Here’s a breakdown of what they’ve been saying so far.

Minister Steven Miles

• The Palaszczuk Government is delivering a record $2.408 billion in 2018-19 for Metro South, a $93 million increase ... we’ve increased funding year-on-year since coming to government.
• The $556,000 Emergency Department upgrade (Redland Hospital) will provide four additional beds to help keep up with demand and the $1.16 million upgrade to the maternity unit to include a water birthing suite, bringing the total number of birthing suites to seven.
• Andrew Laming has hand-picked dodgy figures that don’t tell the true story to hide the fact the Morrison Government have failed Redlands residents

Minister for Health Steven Miles has accused the Federal Government of stripping funding from Redland Hospital. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

• The Palaszczuk Government is investing $1.73 million to expand the Emergency Department and upgrade Maternity Services at Redland Hospital.
• Funding to every Hospital and Health Service has increased including providing $1.411 billion in funding to Metro South HHS in 2017-18, an increase of $289.7 million since 2013-14
• Of the $83 million provided in Commonwealth funding to Metro South, $59 million actually relates to hospital services delivered in 2014/15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 services.
• The questions Mr Laming (showed to Redlands Community News) show how desperate he is to mislead the Redlands community in the vain hope they won’t hold him accountable for his failure as a local member .... he is lying to cover up the cuts made to Redlands hospital by Scott Morrison and the LNP. But ultimately he is personally responsible for his failure to stop the Morrison government cut of $52.7 million from the Metro South HHS.

Federal MP Andrew Laming

• They (Qld Health) have steadfastly refused to answer any questions and just report TOTAL funding which of course includes the Commonwealth contribution, which is increasing at 14 per cent a year.
• I have no doubt monthly figures can bounce around, but the implication is now evidence. State Labor is siphoning money out of MetroSouth because of high activity levels leading to Commonwealth funding boosts. Last finYear, they cut State funding to MSHHS by 3.6 per cent and (wait for it) increased MetroNorth by 3.6 per cent.

Andrew Laming will meet with Queensland Health officials this week to discuss funding of Metro South and Redland Hospital services. Pic Annette Dew

• $52.7 million was not cut from the Metro South and Redland Hospital budget.
• The IHPA reports a $39 million cut to MetroSouth (which includes Redlands, but only State Govt knows the location of cuts within a region). Add in Children’s cut of just under $11 million.
• Commonwealth increased MetroSouth funding $83 million last financial year and project a $93 million increase this financial year ... a 14 per cent increase each year (this and last)
• Labor cuts are 3.6 per cent - we suspect they shifted the money to BrisNorth which had the identical 3.6 per cent increase.
• Qld Labor has all the hospital breakdowns but refuse to release
• The real story here is that when activity is report by State hospitals to IHPA (Metro South is very high activity) the State then shuffles their money between regions ....
• The State Labor fairy tale calculation refers to an unfunded and panicked commitment that Kevin Rudd made before he lost back in 2013 that his Government would increase Federal contribution from hospitals by 45 to 50 per cent of the total a couple of years after he was Prime Minister.
• State labor just cut absolute funding to Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Brisbane South. Of their $76 million reduction last year, $50 million of that total came from Metro South/Childrens.
• This is a funding emergency.

How the funding distribution is reported and regulated

The independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) is an independent government agency established under Commonwealth legislation on 15 December 2011 as part of the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) reached by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in August 2011. (Source IHPA)

Redland Hospital facts

• Nearly 55,000 people visited Redland Hospital emergency department last financial year
• Close to 36,000 people were admitted to the hospital

Source: Queensland Health.