Saturday 28 February 2009

70 year old amputee 'not on waiting list'

Waiting Lists for elective surgery at Cairns Base Hospital are under scrutiny.

Local pensioner, Bill Jones, has been told he’s not even on a waiting list after several months of waiting. "I've been waiting months for surgery, only to be told I'm not even on the waiting list," he said this week.

“The Cairns Base Hospital told me that there are 16 people on the ‘high priority’ list, 22 people on the ‘lower priority list’, and then everyone else like me, just aren’t even on the list,” Mr Jones said.

“I need prosthesis since I had an amputation, but can’t get that until after surgery. The nurses have been fantastic, but the system has abandoned me”, he said.

LNP Candidate for Cairns, Joel Harrop, who is now championing the cause for Mr Jones, said he is appalled at Mr Jones’ treatment.

“This should not be occurring in a nation as wealthy as Australia. These waiting lists, both the declared ones and the secret ones that Labor hide, are a disgrace,” Harrop says.

A massive LNP policy billboard went up on the Southern highway this week.
Health will be major issue for Cairns voters this election.
The LNP plans to introduce a Patient First Advocates initiative, to provide a voice for patients within the Cairns Base Hospital. Harrop explained that Advocates would work fulltime to reduce waiting lists, coordinate surgical appointments and outpatient medical services.

"Their role will be practical, ensuring that patients travel to their appointments on time and are ready for surgery, that all post-operative appointments are kept, and if surgical appointments need to be cancelled they are immediately rescheduled."

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I do feel sorry for cases you hear like Mr Jones. I feel compelled to speak out, after a shocker year in health matters last year, a family member had to get a complete overhaul, seeing a specialist in one area lend to another specialist fixing yet another body part in another hospital. The whole saga started in July and with one more operation this time on a leg should be finished by Wednesday this week. Every hospital every doctor, nurse & administrator were exceptionally helpful, kind, professional and expedient. While I said earlier I feel for these people such as Mr Jones. I do not share that story, and have met many people with stories similar to mine. I give QLD Health 5 stars.

Anonymous said...

I hear what you're saying, Miss Emu - and I think that's what Bill said too..

He reckons the staff are great.. but (as even labor people are admittinh) the systems stuffed - i.e.. our doctors and nurses do a great job.. but the beaureaucrats are a pain in the proverbial..

Unknown said...

Now, see, you're both agreeing that the doctors and nurses are great at what they do. And the LNP agrees too.

That's why they announced a brand new world-class hospital to be built in Cairns - and the Cairns Base upgraded.

So they're just saying that doctors and nurses are overworked, and we need to support them by hiring more staff and creating jobs.

It's what the LNP is offering: A Better QLD.

Anonymous said...

Tyson.. you speak like a polly.. what kinda speak is that mate!!??

Anonymous said...

Tyson.. you speak like a polly.. what kinda speak is that mate!!??

Anonymous said...

So Tyson the Nationals are going to spend $500 million upgrading the Cairns Base hospital, which will double it's bed capacity, and then they will also spend $1.5 billion building a new hospital. Where is all of the money going to come from, especially since 'The Borg' will not be taking the budget into deficit? How many jobs will 'The Borg' have to make 'de-necessary' in order to raise $2 billion. Or will he go into a private partnership, which will make the new hospital a private, rather than a public hospital. And where is the new hospital going? How long will it take to build it?

Anonymous said...

you cann tell an ALP poster here..... they have been told to call the LNP the "Nationals" !

They've also been told to mention "jobs" in everything they write.... They're like sheep only more lame and not as tasty.

Chris

Anonymous said...

To clarify what the LNP will do, we will continue with priority upgrades of the Cairns Base.

That does not include the full upgrade that the Labor sham government has proposed. We will build a world class hospital in Cairns, something that Mr De Lacy says we need, something Ms Boyle and the Labor party acknowledge we need but say they won't deliver for at least 20 years. Of course, they are hoping the people in Cairns won't realise that Ms Bligh is building a new hospital in her own electorate of South Brisbane.

Funny how they always manage to find money to spend in Brisbane!
Ralph, in terms of all your other pot shots, that information is publicly available. Of course, as a member of the Labor Crisis Response Unit, you already know that. Nice try though.

Here is a thought. You seem to be confused about the name of our political party, which is the LNP.

As your mob seem to want to play silly games, perhaps I should start calling you the $74billion Dollar Debt and Nothing to Show For It Party (74BDDNSFP... to wordy), the We Stripped all the Money Out Of Ergon and Now the Union Can't do It's Job Safely Party (WSMOENUCJSP... hard to put it on a t-shirt), the Bankruptcy Party (BP is taken), the Failure to Listen to Cairns Party (FLCP... maybe), the Ignore Cairns Party (ICP... sounds good), the Stagnant Ideas Party (SIP), the No Vision Party (NVP?), the Worst Healthcare In Australia Party (WHAP), The You Gave us the Silly Smart State Slogan and Then Didn't Fund Education Party (YGSSSSTDFEP... a little hard to pronounce), the Cairns Has Twice the Crime Rate of QLD Party (CTCR... oooh, that's a good one.

Someone tell Residents Against Crime), The Don't Talk About Our Track Record Party (DTAOTRP), The Botox Party (BP, again. Oh well). Hmmm. What could capture all of those concepts in something short and snappy? I know! The Labor Party!

Perhaps a poll on these name alternatives is in order?

Anonymous said...

Joel,
I repost my earlier post to add one more to your list.

No prizes for guessing where Ralph 'The Borg" Wiggum gets his orders from. He repeats as mantra the Anna'ism of mis-calling the LNP. Or is it the Steve'ism in this case?

Yes the word national is in the LNP party name; its a shame such honesty is not reflected with the Australian (taking our orders from Peel Street Union Headquarters) Labor Party - but then ATOOFPSUHLP is a a little hard to not only pronounce but to remember. Try saying it several times in rapid succession - its a giggle for sure - which is about as much fun as you are likely to get out of Anna Bligh's mob!

Anonymous said...

So Tyson, who is clearly in the National Party (or whatever you call yourselves) is allowed to make comments out of what is clearly the National Party election handbook and not get attacked whereas if I try to question Joel on some of his promises, I get attacked? Very impartial.

Anonymous said...

And Joel you did not answer my questions about where the new private hospital will be built. Also could we have a timeframe, because I am sure it would take at least 10 years to plan and build a new hospital. Also will you continue with plans to include an oncology unit at the Cairns Base within 2 years? And where will you put it if you stop construction on the new building where it is to be located?

KitchenSlut said...

Slightly off topic but in the last week I have received in the mail 2 application forms for a postal vote.

The form from the LNP you can fill in, seal and return to the Qld Electoral Office.

The form from the ALP you can fill in, seal, and return directly to the office of Desley Boyle. Presumably there it is opened and processed by by publicly funded political staff and whether or not it then goes to the Electoral Commission is at the discretion of ..... who knows and what procedures?

I haven't looked at postal applications before so have no idea what the protocol is. However it should be in the Pythonesque category of the 'bleeding obvious' to any fair minded person that this protocol in inappropriate!

Unknown said...

10 years, you say - Ralph?

Well, that's just a little strange - because Anna Bligh has a timeframe of 5 years for the new porkbarrel - uh, hospital in her electorate of South Brisbane... we'd better let her know that Ralph has said that's wrong...

The LNP has committed to building a world class public health facility in Cairns.

That's better than your lot eh Ralph? 11 years they've had.. and they've failed Cairns and they've failed Queensland. Ralph, your party has failed you.

You'd remember that 6 years ago the ALP finished their last upgrade of Cairns Base... that delivered us yet another amazing, world class - carpark. Oh and look now, in their usual style, they're going to knock it down and waste some more taxpayer money.

You're stuck here trying to defend an absolutely atrocious record of mismanagement and mistakes.

How can you sleep at night? $74 Billion, Ralph, $74 Billion.

Anonymous said...

Joel does not seem to be able to answer my questions about the location of the new hospital or if the liberal national party would offer oncology services in cairns within 2 years.

Also considering the somewhat ranting nature of Joels last post, I wonder if he got permission to make the comment from the Nationals State Office. After all isn't there currently a gag order in place to avoid such ramblings and gaffs?