Health Minister calls for split funding as Covid continues to smash Qld hospitals

The Health Minister has called on the Morrison Government to split the costs of fixing the state’s crippling health crisis as Covid patients continue to fill struggling hospitals.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has called for 50/50 split to help solve the state’s horrific hospital crisis.

It comes as she announced the start of construction on seven new satellite hospitals aimed at getting patients with minor injuries out of emergency departments.

The hospitals will include minor injury and illness clinics as well as some offering services such as renal dialysis, oncology and outpatient care.

“It means that people will not have to go to our bigger hospitals for these services,” Ms D’Ath said.

She called on the Morrison Government to come to the table with a 50/50 split funding to help solve the ongoing hospital crisis.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has called for a 50/50 split to help fix Queensland’s ongoing hospital crisis. Picture: David Clark

“It is about time that commitment that was made many years ago was delivered on,” she said.
“We have been ignored every step of the way by the Commonwealth and by Scott Morrison when we have asked for them to give us genuine 50/50 funding for our hospital system.”

Ms D’Ath said Covid was still a major contributor to the pressure on Queensland’s hospitals, with 240 beds being taken up by positive patients.

“Many of the beds we have bought online over the last 12 months are now very much being occupied by Covid patients,” she said.

“We have 520 people in hospital beds today that shouldn’t be in a hospital bed – they should be getting aged care support, disability support in the community,” Ms D’Ath said.

Queensland recorded 5,142 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Tuesday as the state looks to relax close contact restrictions from Thursday.

There are currently 44,564 active cases in Queensland with 484 people receiving hospital care.

Ms D’ath said hospital bed occupancy is an “ongoing challenge.”

The Health Minister has called on the Morrison Government to come to the table on the funding split. Picture: Jason Edwards

“I don’t think we could have ever predicted Covid and we certainly couldn’t have predicted the significant migration from interstate,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said people migrating to Queensland are “putting extra pressure” on the system along with people not taking up private health.

From 6pm on Thursday, asymptomatic close contacts in Queensland who test negative for the virus will no longer need to quarantine for a week.

Ms D’Ath said healthcare workers must advise their employer if they are a close contact but it will be up to the hospital and health services to determine the risk of that person.

“I think it will ease some pressures but we do have to be aware that more close contacts in the community probably means more positive cases,” she said.

With the changes to close contacts that will help us in some way but Covid is putting pressure on top of the normal demand.

The new satellite hospitals will be located at Bribie Island, Pine Rivers, Brisbane South, Caboolture, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Redlands.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2023.

Originally published as Health Minister calls for split funding as Covid continues to smash Qld hospitals