Hundreds of people north of Brisbane will have better access to critical cancer treatment, with a Shorten Labor Government to invest $10 million to establish a chemotherapy treatment service at Caboolture Hospital.

Labor’s investment will see 360 patients receiving around 3700 treatments every year.

Currently people in the region have to travel significant distances to access critical chemotherapy treatment and bypass the Caboolture Hospital because the service isn’t available.

For a cancer patient living on Bribie Island who needs chemotherapy, this will cut their travel time in half.

The region is the fastest growing in wider Brisbane – increasing by more than 50,000 by 2030, and cancer services are one of the highest volume hospital services in the region.

Turnbull’s cuts will see every hospital in Queensland worse off – including a cut of $2.91 million from Caboolture hospital in only three years.

Turnbull’s cut to Caboolture hospital is the equivalent of 4,300 emergency department visits, more than 800 cataract extractions or 480 births. These are real cuts that will have an impact on the capacity of the hospital to meet future demands of the region.

In clear contrast – Labor is prioritising our hospitals because we know that nothing matters more than health.

Instead of giving big business an $80 billion tax cut we are putting that money towards more hospital beds, getting people off elective surgery lists and making sure people get the treatment they need.

The July 28 by-election is a chance to send Turnbull a clear message that his choice to help big business and hurt our local hospitals is unfair and out-of-touch.

A vote for Labor and Susan Lamb is a vote to give our region the health care they need and deserve.