LNP won’t commit to new spinal injuries unit after horror stories

The LNP refuses to commit to a new state-of-the-art spinal injuries unit following revelations of inhumane conditions, but the Health Minister has other options up his sleeve.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls in Parliament. Picture: Richard Walker

• Editor’s view: Bit rich of Labor
• Patient death: Why minister is silent

The Queensland LNP government refuses to commit to a new state-of-the-art spinal injuries unit promised by Labor following revelations of inhumane patient treatment and conditions at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital facility that sent shockwaves through the health sector.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles has called the failure to lock in a new facility a betrayal of Queenslanders.

But Health Minister Tim Nicholls said big plans were on the cards for spinal injury services, with the government investigating having three hubs across the state: a hub and spoke in Brisbane and satellite centres in Cairns and Townsville.

“Spinal unit plans were left in limbo by Labor and no funding was allocated for a state of the art new facility,” he said.

“But we have been working with clinicians and patients to find the best solutions and we have been told that patients in the regions often do not want to relocate to Brisbane.

“We are investigating all options and it is a priority.”

Patient reports of brutal and humiliating processes and dilapidated facilities at the PA unit, revealed by The Courier-Mail in 2023, sparked the pledge by Labor to build a modern unit above the existing facility.

Mr Nicholls said he was personally impacted by the stories and visited the spinal injuries unit on his second week as health minister.

He said that the government had invested $20m so far to upgrade the existing unit.

The minister has given no timeline for the expansion of services.

The entrance to the Spinal Injuries Unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital

At least 30 seriously injured Queenslanders are waiting for a bed at the existing unit — the only dedicated spinal injuries unit in the state. And the wait to begin rehabilitation is hampering their chances of ever walking.

“At any moment any Queenslander could find themself needing a bed at this dedicated unit,” Mr Miles said.

“Tim Nicholls has dodged, weaved and refused to give a straight answer on where he stands on this unit and by doing so he is putting lives at risk.

“He is failing Queenslanders who live with spinal injuries, he is failing those who are recovering from their injuries, and he is failing those Queenslanders who one day may find themselves needing this care.”

Meanwhile top-level sources from the spinal injuries unit have revealed that little has changed at the unit since former Queenslander of the Year Dinesh Palipana, a former patient, helped expose the level of degradation.

Dr Palipana told The Courier-Mail it was disappointing that the government would not commit to a much needed modern new unit at the PA.

“Spinal cord injury is devastating. Paralysis affects every aspect of life. It doesn’t just affect the person but everyone around them. With that in mind, this is about a human being at the centre of it all. It is about a vulnerable human being going through the hardest thing in their life,” he said.

“I hope that we keep that human at the centre of it, put aside the interests of other stakeholders, and do what is best for people with spinal cord injury in Queensland.

This is not about politics. This is not about financial interests. This is about real people who need good care in good environments to heal,” Mr Palipana said.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles this week. Picture Lachie Millard

Originally published as LNP won’t commit to new spinal injuries unit after horror stories