Queensland Labour Party in it's wisdom provided free Ambulance services for all Queensland.
To pay for such a scheme they introduced a TAX and legislated for electricity authorities to collect their Ambulance TAX.
Payment of this TAX permits every Queenslander FREE access to an Ambulance and therefore a FREE TAXI ride to Hospital and FREE instant access to the Emergency ward bypassing patients waiting in Outpatients.
Blind Fredie can see little Johnny's mum is going to call an Ambulance for little Johnny's cut finger. Little Johnnie can go to hospital in an Ambulance, play with the nurses and doctors, get x-rays, seek specialists help for what is an infected cut finger.
Ok, a little over exaggerated but possible and certain to tie up Ambulance resources.
Ambulance resources are being tied up by NON Emergency cases when they should be resourced to Emergency cases.
Folks are dying from Heart Attacks and other serious illness when Ambulances are tied up on non emergency cases that SHOULD be referred to a local doctor and/or outpatients.
This remedy should have been implemented years ago.
(a) Free Ambulance for all and pay the tax for it. You are attended to by a Paramedic team and assessed. You are taken to Outpatients by Ambulance.
(Akin to paying for a doctor to visit you at home.) Limit ambulance calls to 1 per year. Fee for Ambulance calls in excess of 1 per year.
(b) You pay a Premium Ambulance Levy. Unlimited calls. Immediate access to doctors in Emergency Ward.
If Ambulances were privatised the above is what a Private Company will do with Ambulance care.
What the current Ambulance levy provides is a Premium Ambulance care at a budget price.
There are plenty of folks who want better care and are prepared to pay for it.
If you do not like people waiting in line on trolleys, in the emergency outpatients wards then write to the media about it.
Government will only do something about hospital log jams if there likely to be voter loss on the issue.
by
Steve Wotherspoon
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