Labor to deliver more hospital beds for Townsville
Julia Gillard,Tony Mooney
posted Monday, 19 July 2010
Townsville Hospital is set to benefit from 15 new rehabilitation beds as a result of the Gillard Government’s health reforms.
The Gillard Labor Government will invest up to $9 million in sub-acute beds as part of a major redevelopment of Townsville Hospital being undertaken in partnership with the Queensland Government.
These will be the first dedicated rehabilitation beds ever provided at Townsville Hospital.
Sub-acute beds help take pressure off our public hospital services by providing care for people who no longer need an acute hospital bed, but are not well enough to go home.
These 15 new rehabilitation beds are part of Julia Gillard and Tony Mooney’s plan for better hospitals for North Queensland.
This includes:
- $250 million for a major expansion of the Townsville Hospital.
- A $70 million Regional Cancer Centre, which will provide 3 radiotherapy bunkers, 2 linear accelerators, 26 additional chemotherapy beds and a PET/CT Scanner.
This latest investment in new services at Townsville Hospital forms part of Labor's National Health and Hospital Network – the most significant reform to the health and hospitals system since the introduction of Medicare.
The National Health and Hospitals Network will be funded nationally and run locally, meaning health professionals on the ground in North Queensland have more of a say in the way their hospitals are run.
Under these reforms, the Queensland Government will receive $327 million in total to provide 265 new sub-acute hospital beds.
It will mean better services for patients in Townsville recovering from major operations or illnesses, who no longer need to be in hospital but require a period of rehabilitation before they can go home.
This will help take pressure off one of Queensland's busiest hospitals.
Construction of the new facilities is due to commence late next year.
The Gillard Labor Government’s plan to invest in Townsville Hospital stands in stark contrast to the Coalition’s plan to cut health and hospital services.
As a former Health Minister, Tony Abbott cut $1 billion from Australia’s public hospitals.
Since becoming Opposition Leader, Mr Abbott has made clear he will make more cuts to health and hospitals if elected.
The Federal Labor Government is supporting record investment with the most significant reforms to the health and hospitals system since the introduction of Medicare.
Tags: and, Gillard, Health, Hospitals, Julia, National, Network, Queensland