In a clear sign that the Bundaberg health system is rapidly deteriorating under Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor, dental waiting lists in the public hospital system have blown out dramatically.
LNP Bundaberg candidate David Batt said recent figures show that in the past year, the number of Bundaberg locals waiting between 12 months and two years for general dental care in the public system has sky-rocketed from 947 to 1647.
“Bundaberg residents are now waiting longer and longer for access to public general dental care under this incompetent Palaszczuk Labor Government, and it’s simply not good enough,” Mr Batt said.
“The people of Bundaberg deserve first class, timely dental care, and it’s about time this Labor Government treated regional Queenslanders with the respect we deserve.”
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said under the former LNP government, public dental wait lists were significantly slashed following the introduction of a voucher system giving eligible public dental patients the option to have procedures done by private dentists.
“What we were able to do under this model was deliver the best dental care for disadvantaged locals throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett, while reducing those lengthy waiting lists,” Mr Bennett said.
“It is my top priority to fight for the reintroduction of these dental vouchers to get people off these lengthy waiting lists.”
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services John-Paul Langbroek said these latest dental waitlists show that Labor’s mismanagement of the Bundaberg health system was clearly not limited to ramping at Emergency Departments.
“Queenslanders only have to cast their mind back to the $1.2 billion health payroll debacle and $17 million Fake Tahitian Prince scandals to know Labor has form for stuffing up Queensland’s health and hospital systems – and after three years of Annastacia Palaszczuk it’s happening again,” Mr Langbroek said.
“All this from the political party that claims to care for Queensland’s most vulnerable – what a terrible joke.
“Only the LNP has a plan to provide better services for families and build a better Queensland – so you and your family can get ahead.”
*https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/public-dental-waiting-lists
Tuesday, 10 October 2017