Shannon Fentiman and Mark Bailey slam Tim Nicholls over status of Townsville University Hospital upgrades

Labor have slammed the government for “failing Townsville’s health care”, saying the introduction of an emergency department directive is being deemed ‘dangerous’ by nurses and doctors at Townsville University Hospital.

Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman speaks in Townsville.

Labor have slammed the government for “failing Townsville’s health care”, saying the LNP’s introduction of an emergency department directive has been deemed ‘dangerous’ by nurses and doctors at Townsville University Hospital.

Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman and Shadow Health Minister Mark Bailey said on Tuesday that a health directive beginning on July 1 will ‘punish busy hospitals’ by cutting funding if they have patients staying more than 24 hours in the emergency department.

“Why would you deny busy hospitals the funding they need if someone is being cared for in the emergency department for longer than 24 hours? It means that there’s nowhere for them to go,” Ms Fentiman said.

Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman and Shadow Health Minister Mark Bailey with former health worker Julie Watson.

“ … it will put pressure on clinicians to discharge these patients before they’re ready and it will mean that patients are placed in inappropriate places to be cared for.”

The directive, according to sources in the health sector, has come from the Director-General of Queensland Health.

Former health worker Julie Watson said she was concerned about the pressure put on hospital workers.

“As a mother, a grandmother, I use the Townsville Hospital a lot more than I would like to and they just do an amazing job out there,” she said.

“I think the staff do the best they can do but in terms of the overcrowding, the bed block, the waiting that has to go on in the ED department, it does put people at risk.”

Mr Bailey and Ms Fentiman also called out the government for the lack of timelines in regards to the Townsville University Hospital expansion.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Service Tim Nicholls during a news conference, Geebung Ambulance Station. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Not only is there not a line item in this Budget that secures the funding that is needed for the Townsville University Hospital expansion, but we have no idea what that expansion will get under and when the much needed 143 beds will be delivered,” Ms Fentiman said.

Health Minister Tim Nichols said the government was ‘reprogramming’ all the work for the Hospital Expansion Program which Labor left ‘over-budget and delayed”.

“We’re working with the Hospital and health service up there, including the board chair Tony Mooney and the chief executive Kieran Keyes,” Mr Nicholls said.

“ I was only up there 10 days ago at their Hospital Awards Excellence Night, and we were discussing what that looks like.”

Townsville University Hospital redevelopment mock-up.

Saying the government was working on “what the redesign looks like to provide more beds” and how they can be delivered as quickly as possible, Mr Nicholls said the government was in constant contact with the THHS about the delivery.

“In the meantime, we’ve gone to market for 700 space car park up there that was not being built, and we are expecting some really competitive offers to deliver a carparking solution up there, while we also redesign the hospital to meet the bed requirement for the Townsville HHS up there,” he said.

Originally published as Shannon Fentiman and Mark Bailey slam Tim Nicholls over status of Townsville University Hospital upgrades