KEN O’DOWD CALLS GP SUPER CLINICS PROGRAM ‘JUST ANOTHER LABOR LEMON’
Posted on Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd has labelled the ‘GP Super Clinics’ as yet another policy delivery failure for the Gillard Labor Government.
“Three years after the Health Minister’s policy announcement, Australians have only seen four of the 36 promised ‘Super Clinics’,” he said.
“And despite falling short on their pledge to deliver 36, the Gillard Labor Government has extended that pledge to 60 ‘GP Super Clinics’”
“During the past three weeks I have consulted widely with the community and health professionals re GP Super Clinic and overwhelmingly the feeling is that this money would be better spent providing more doctors, nurses, and health equipment for our existing hospitals”.
“This is why at the Federal election, the Coalition committed to investing significantly in longer GP consultations, after-hours care, and more nursing services.”
Gillard Labor must guarantee that no existing general practice services will be closed as a result of the Government’s ‘GP Super Clinics’ program,” he said
“I have written to Health Minister Nicola Roxon suggesting that the $6million she insists on wasting on a GP Super Clinic in Gladstone would be better spent on equipment for the Gladstone Base Hospital to enable it to handle the needs of this growing industrial city.
“Gladstone Base Hospital must be reinstated to a level where it can handle any emergency and accident situation. We are the industrial hub for Australia and at the moment if we had a major accident involving multiple casualties we would not be able to cope. The situation where people have to drive to and from Rockhampton for dialysis treatment must also be addressed”, he said
“I am back in Canberra next week and I’ll be calling on both the Health Minister and the Prime Minister to discuss these matters with me”, Mr. O’Dowd said.