A Shorten Labor Government will deliver better access to emergency and specialist outpatient care for the people of Logan – and reduce pressure on the local hospital’s emergency department – by building a new Urgent and Specialist Care Centre.
This is part of Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals.
The Logan region is growing rapidly, and its population is ageing and has more complex health requirements than most, putting enormous pressure on local health services.
Labor will invest $33.4 million to establish the new Centre, which will treat people with urgent but not life-threatening illnesses and injuries – meaning they won’t end up in Logan Hospital, freeing up doctors and nurses to deal more quickly with more serious emergencies.
The Centre will be run by the hospital and include 11 urgent care beds to treat people with injuries such as minor fractures, dislocations, abrasions and lacerations, as well as respiratory tract infections.
Outpatient care will be a key focus of the Centre with the inclusion of 22 specialist consultation rooms – boosting Logan Hospital’s capacity by a third – and boast pathology, diagnostic imaging and pharmacy services.
The new walk-in Centre will operate seven days a week and is expected to see over 15,000 patients a year.
This will not only reduce pressure on Logan’s emergency department – and the hospital car park – but also reduce the need for people to travel for hospital services. More people will be able to access care in their own community.
This is another example of Labor’s commitment to delivering the best possible health care for all Australians, no matter where they live or how much money they have.
The Liberals on the other hand just cut and cut and cut: including a $6.1 million cut from Logan Hospital from 2017 to 2020, equivalent to 9,000 ED visits or 15,000 outpatient appointments. That’s part of a $160 million cut to Queensland and a $715 million cut nationwide.
Now Scott Morrison is trying to lock in those cuts for another five years - but the Queensland Labor Government has rejected their inadequate deal.
Labor will reverse the Liberal cuts with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund – including through projects such as this one.
This announcement builds on Labor’s proud record in Logan. In 2011, federal Labor invested $175 million to deliver 50 new beds and a new ED building at Logan Hospital.
And in 2017 Queensland Labor commited $281 million for the Logan Hospital redevelopment, including a bed increase from 448 to up to 640, and $12.6 million for a new maternity ward. This project will support the redevelopment.
The site for the new Centre will be determined in consultation with Logan Hospital and the local community, including the council and local education institutions.
Labor can afford to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals because we are tackling unfair tax loopholes and making multinationals pay their fair share.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix Queensland’s hospitals.
THURSDAY, 17 JANUARY 2019
