BILL SHORTEN MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
& ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS
MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG
CATHERINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICARE
MEMBER FOR BALLARAT
PAUL NEWBURY
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR BRISBANE
LABOR’S TO EXPAND CANCER SERVICES AT THE RBWH
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $60 million to expand cancer services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, giving Queenslanders faster access to cutting edge cancer care.
This new investment is part of Labor’s $2.3 billion Medicare Cancer Plan – the most important boost to Medicare since Bob Hawke created it.
Cancer is a major health issue for Queensland’s growing and ageing population. Labor believes all Queenslanders deserve access to the very best cancer care.
It is envisaged this new cancer centre will give patients access to cutting edge cellular therapies known as theranostics – an exciting new field of personalised, precision medicine.
Another key feature of the expansion will be more oncology interventional radiology suites, and more space for ambulatory clinics including telehealth facilities.
This expansion will also help drive down wait times – and is part of Labor’s war on hospital waiting lists.
Emergency department and elective surgery waiting times have blown out under the Liberals because of their relentless cuts to public hospitals and Medicare.
That will only get worse if Scott Morrison is re-elected on 18 May because he plans to cut another $651 million from Queensland’s hospitals over the next six years.
Under a Labor Government, Queensland hospitals will be at least $800 million better off.
That’s the combined total of Queensland’s share of our Better Hospitals Fund – which reverses the Liberal cuts of the next six years – our new investment in driving down emergency department waiting times, and our separate investment in cancer patient waiting times.
This new investment in the RBWH comes on top of that.
Queensland will also benefit from other elements of Labor’s $2.3 billion Medicare Cancer Plan, as well as our $2.4 billion Pensioner Dental Plan.
All up, Labor will invest more than $8 billion more in Australia’s health system – because we want to build the world’s best health system.
You don’t improve our hospitals by cutting them. We need real change – because more of the same isn’t good enough.
If you want better hospitals not more cuts – vote Labor.
If you want a fair go for all Australians – vote Labor.
THURSDAY, 9 MAY 2019