A local state MP has slammed a rival political candidate over claims that the future of Noosa Hospital is under threat.
The hospital is run by private operator Ramsay Health Care, which has a contract with the state government’s Queensland Health to treat emergency patients and provide some public health services.
LNP candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart last week called for the existing agreement – which has six years remaining on it – to be extended, launching a petition to support her push.
“Without a long-term agreement, our hospital is left without the certainty needed to invest in the services for a growing community,” Ms Stewart said.
But independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton said this week “there is no threat of the Noosa Private Hospital closing, that it needs saving, or otherwise”.
“It is the slowness of the emergency department expansion due to commercial in-confidence negotiations between Ramsay and Queensland Health regarding the lease, including the length of, that is frustrating,” Ms Bolton said.
“There has never been an issue that an extension or new lease would not occur, and to indicate otherwise is misinforming our community.”
Ms Bolton said Ms Stewart’s move demonstrated a lack of understanding, and claimed the petition was a strategy for collecting data for subsequent political communications.
EARLIER: A candidate for October’s state elections has begun a petition to ensure the future of a local hospital, but the Health Minister has called the move “hypocritical” and “insulting”.
LNP candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart is calling to have the existing agreement between the state government and Noosa Hospital extended.
The hospital is run by private operator Ramsay Health Care, which has a contract with Queensland Health to treat emergency patients and provide some public health services.
There are six years left on the existing agreement.
Ms Stewart, the former Noosa mayor, has launched an online petition, saying the Noosa community needs a hospital they can reply upon for years to come.
“The team at the Noosa Hospital have delivered world-class care to residents in Noosa for many years,” she said.
“Our community deserves to have certainty that these services will be available in the long run.
“Without a long-term agreement, our hospital is left without the certainty needed to invest in the services for a growing community.
“I encourage Noosa locals to sign my petition and send a message to the State Labor Government that health services are a priority for our community.”
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said negotiations with the hospital were ongoing and blamed Ms Stewart for not allowing the service to expand.
“We have a very productive working relationship with Ramsay Health Care, who do terrific work operating the Noosa Private Hospital,” Ms Fentiman said.
“We know how important it is for Noosa Hospital to have certainty and confidence moving forward.
“That is why we have been negotiating with Ramsay to lock in an extended agreement, and these negotiations are still ongoing.
“The only person who is standing in the way of Noosa Hospital providing better care for Sunshine Coast residents is Clare Stewart.
“When Clare Stewart was mayor, the Noosa Council refused Ramsay’s request to expand their hospital, which would have allowed them to meet increasing demand for health services.
“For Clare Stewart to now pretend to care about Noosa Hospital is not only hypocritical, it is insulting to the frontline staff who work so hard to care for Sunshine Coast residents.”
A media release from the State Opposition said Ms Stewart had worked with the hospital to accelerate the approval of demountable buildings for expansion of its emergency department and to provide additional staff amenities including for ambulance officers while Noosa mayor.
Noosa Hospital acting CEO Karl van der Merwe said it was continuing negotiations with Queensland Health.
“Ramsay Health Care is proud to care for the local community at Noosa Hospital,” he said.
“Our wonderful staff provide a range of medical and surgical services with the philosophy ‘people caring for people’ at the heart of everything we do.
“We have an excellent working relationship with Queensland Health and we are currently working together on renewing our contract to continue operating the hospital.”
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Ros Bates said the community deserved certainty about the hospital’s future.
“Shannon Fentiman needs to explain why there has been such a long delay in securing a long-term agreement for the Noosa Hospital so the operators can invest in essential health services with certainty,” Ms Bates said.
The agreement with the state government has been in place with the hospital since it opened in 1999.
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