UPDATE 6: Hands off our public health services! Hands off our jobs!
Published: 27 October 2012
Eventide update
On Thursday 18 October, Metro North Hospital and Health Board Chair Dr Paul Alexander announced the progressive closure of Bramble and Flinders Houses on the Eventide Aged Care Campus at Brighton.
Metro North Hospital and Health Board (MNHHB) said that 80 beds and 69 staff – including 58 nursing positions – would initially be cut.
However at a meeting between the QNU and MNHHB on 19 October, it was disclosed that 140 beds and 120 staff would be cut at the Brighton facility.
Additionally, the closure of two other state government-owned aged care facilities – Ashworth House at Zillmere and Cooinda House at Kippa-Ring – was flagged.
Published data indicates Eventide Brighton has 224 licensed high-care beds, while Ashworth House and Cooinda House have 60 high-care beds each.
QNU Secretary Beth Mohle said the whole thing is a shemozzle, extremely ham-fisted and a clear example of just how much this State Government, with new legislative powers abolishing consultation, thinks it can ride roughshod over the community.
“Firstly, the community is told 80 beds are going initially. Less than 24 hours later we are told it is 120 beds, and all this against a possible total of 344 State Government high-care beds in the region. This is very distressing for residents, their families and staff. It is time for the State Government to come clean on the Brisbane North plans and then also on its plans for every other State Government-owned aged care facility across the State. After all, it has to be remembered these are people’s homes.”
More than 1800 State Government-owned aged care places, including nearly 1500 high care places at 20 residential facilities, across Queensland could be lost if the State Government continues with its program of closing down aged care services.
The QNU has written to each of the 17 Hospital and Health Services asking of their future plans with regard to aged care service provision.
The QNU will be holding a public meeting on the closure of the facilities at the Sandgate Town Hall (Cliff and Seymour Streets, Sandgate) from 10am-12pm on Saturday 3 November – come along!
Click here for more information
Frontline nurses axed from Mackay Hospital
Five frontline nurses and one health worker at Mackay Base Hospital have had their positions axed.
The announcement was made at a District Consultative Forum just hours before a Queensland Council of Unions rally outside the hospital on Wednesday.
The positions cut were primarily concerned with preventative health care.
QNU Secretary Beth Mohle was present in Mackay for a QCU rally when the cuts were announced.
"These are nurses who keep people out of hospital," Beth said.
"They save the hospital money in the long run, because these people keep (patients) out of hospital by keeping them well. Our members are devastated."
Participants at the rally discovered management representatives nearby taking photographs of the rally and making notes.
The management representatives left after they were brought to the attention of the rally participants and the media.
Click here to view the WIN News report
Moreton Bay NCU and Wynnum Hospital to be closed down
At a community meeting on 24 October, the CEO of Metro South Health and Hospital Service (MSHHS), Dr Richard Ashby, announced that the Moreton Bay Nursing Care Unit (MBNCU) will close due to “fire safety issues”.
The timeframe for the closure is still not clear.
Dr Ashby said that by 2013 the MBNCU will not be compliant with Commonwealth standards and will be too expensive to replace. QNU officials were meeting with traumatised members from MBNCU the following day to provide information and support on their rights and entitlements.
The CEO also said that Wynnum Hospital would close because it does not have the capacity to provide emergency services. Dr Ashby said there was ‘no chance’ that Wynnum Hospital would be brought up to proper emergency ward standard.
In response to angry questioning from attendees about where they could seek emergency and nursing care, Dr Ashby made some vague comments about the establishment of a “health and community precinct” and an opportunity to build a large extended hours private sector.
Members of the local community who attended the meeting were clearly outraged by the announcements, with outcries of protest and several people walking out in disgust.
Jobs and Information Workshops for Queensland Workers Invitation
The Australian Government is holding Jobs and Information Workshops for Queensland workers in the wake of recent public service redundancies in Queensland.
Jobs and Information Workshops are aimed at helping workers find new jobs and minimise the flow-on impacts to non-government organisations that will no longer have access to State Government funding to deliver services to Queenslanders.
Each Workshop will run for approximately three hours and information will be provided by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education and Job Services Australia.
Topics may include:
· Whole of government impact on losing your job – ie do you lose your childcare place? Can you still claim family tax?
· What types of waiting periods will you have to go through before you can access financial services?
· What does an assets test involve?
· What sort of training is available?
· What type of business assistance is available for those looking to start their own business?
· What does the local labour market tell us about jobs in your region?
· What services are funded by DEEWR including Job Services Australia (JSA) and, career advice for mature workers.
Workshops will be held in the coming weeks in various locations across Queensland.
|
Date |
Location |
Venue |
|
Thursday 1 November |
Longreach |
Albert Park Motor Inn, Stork Rd, Longreach |
|
Friday 2 November |
Brisbane (Eight Mile Plains) |
Michael’s Oriental Restaurant and Function Centre, 223 Padstow Rd, Eight Mile Plains |
|
Friday 2 November |
Sunshine Coast |
Lake Kawana Community Centre, |
|
Monday 5 November |
Cairns |
The Boathouse, James Cook University (Cairns Campus), McGregor Rd, Smithfield |
|
Tuesday 13 November |
Gympie |
Gympie RSL Club, 217 Mary St, Gympie |
|
Thursday 15 November |
Logan |
Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre, |
|
Friday 16 November |
Gold Coast |
Radisson Resort Gold Coast, Nielsens Room, Palm Meadows Club House, Palm Meadows Dve, Carrara |
|
Monday 19 November |
Rockhampton |
Leichhardt Hotel, cnr Denham and Bolsover Sts, Rockhampton |
|
Wednesday 21 November |
Mackay |
Mackay Grande Suites, Flinders Room, |
|
Wednesday 28 November |
Toowoomba |
Picnic Point, Toowoomba, 164 Tourist Rd, Toowoomba |
|
Thursday 29 November |
Dalby |
Dalby RSL, 69 Drayton St, Dalby |
|
Wednesday 12 December |
Townsville |
Townsville RSL Stadium, |
Click here for more information and to register
QIRC orders Sunshine Coast HHS to meet with health unions
The QNU has forced the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) to consult over job cuts.
After the SCHHS announced 110 job cuts by media release last week, the QNU made an immediate application to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).
QIRC Deputy President Bloomfield was highly critical of the SCHHS, and ordered the Service not to proceed with the job cuts and to consult with potentially affected employees and their unions.
The Deputy President has restrained the SCHHS from taking any action on the job cuts for 21 days while consultation occurs.
Tell us your story
The QNU continues to receive reports from members about cuts taking place in their work area.
It is vital that any QNU members who have experienced or witnessed cuts to employment and/or cuts to health services report their observations to the QNU.
Tell us how the cuts have impacted on your job, your family, your community.
Click here to tell us your story.
Contact:
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