By JONATHON HOWARD
CAPTION: Claims by the opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk that the Newman Government is acting secretly on health services have been laughed off by MP Lawrence Springborg.
MEMBER for Southern Downs and Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has laughed off claims by the opposition leader that the State Government has secret plans to further privatise Queensland Health services.
Mr Springborg said it was no secret the government was seeking efficiencies within Queensland Health to cope with a massive debt left behind by the previous government.
In a press release, opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said pathology and laundry services at more than 30 Queensland hospitals, including Warwick Hospital, werre due to be privatised.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Newman Government had been caught out in its plan to start the process of privatising vital hospital services by moving to commercialisation.
“A leaked Queensland Health memo shows the Newman Government is starting its hospital privatisation push by outsourcing services including pathology and laundry that are now delivered through local hospitals,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The memo says a newly appointed head of the Health Services Support Agency will be implementing the ‘full commercialisation’ of those services.
“That means the ultimate privatisation of services through outsourcing and the potential loss of jobs and services at Pathology Queensland laboratories at 23 regional public hospitals and a further nine hospitals in the south-east corner.”
Mr Springborg said he refuted claims that the Newman Government was acting secretly.
“These comment from Ms Palaszczuk are truly laughable,” he said.
“Not only has the government been open and transparent about the need to find efficiencies within Queensland Health services, but we’re also working to ensure that tax payers are receiving the best possible value for money to maintain a focus of surgery waiting times.
“To achieve that value, the government is seeking efficiencies within pathology and laundry services to ensure they are comparable to the private sector.”
Mr Springborg said the previous government was told to rein in over servicing and spending but failed to act.
“Because the former government failed to take the appropriate action to rein in over spending, it is now the role of this government to ensure these health services are commercially efficient,” he said.
Mr Springborg said should he discover areas of inefficiencies within the pathology and laundry services then he would not hesitate to take that service to market.
“If private operators are able to perform these health services more efficiently and more so then the government, then we need to explore these options.
“As with any business when there are inefficiencies that are costing more money, then we need to make tough decisions.” Ms Palaszczuk said the move would have a devastating effect on medical services in the regions and shattered a key promise of the Newman Government not to axe frontline services.
“It flies in the face of repeated claims by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg that there will be no privatisation at existing state-run hospitals.
“Now hundreds more jobs are likely to go as the Premier and the Health Minister take such critical frontline medical services as pathology and laundry and linen services and put them on track for sale.”
