We all know that accidents and medical issues happen any time of the night or day. I have listened to your concerns that doctors should be onsite at Beaudesert Hospital overnight and on weekends. For years, I have called on Queensland Health to send more doctors to work at Beaudesert Hospital, as have community members and other hospital staff.
Recently, it was announced that 8 new doctors have started work at Beaudesert Hospital. From supporting better care in the emergency department, to closer care on the ward and in the maternity unit, these new doctors are a terrific boost to the district.
There’s more to be done – we need a CT scanner and an expanded emergency department. Beaudesert Hospital’s growth reflects our collective efforts in prioritising improved hospital services in our region.
No matter where I travel across the Scenic Rim Electorate, one message from constituents is clear and constant: ‘our health system is in a dire state’. Ambulance ramping at Logan, Gold Coast and Ipswich Hospitals is out of control. Locally, from advocating for maternity services to securing additional doctors, I have worked hard to enhance local hospital services.
That is why, alongside the Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli, I convened the LNP Queensland Health Crisis Town Hall Meeting in Beaudesert, to hear directly from you about your concerns. I thank residents from all parts of the region who attended this meeting.
March 5 this year marked a decade since the re-establishment of maternity services at Beaudesert Hospital under the LNP Government, a milestone achieved with overwhelming community support.
As your parliamentary representative, I was at the forefront of the campaign to restore these crucial services and overcome Labor’s earlier closure of them in the early 2000s.
The significance of these services cannot be overstated. The facts speak for themselves. More than 2000 births have taken place since their reinstatement in 2014, granting local mothers the precious opportunity to welcome their babies close to home and surrounded by loved ones.
Beaudesert Times, 7 March 2024
