E-Petition

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that the community of Rockhampton and surrounds are being disadvantaged with respect to healthcare by not having a PET scan at Rockhampton Base Hospital.

We have an aging population and with that comes significant health issues; some of which require medical imaging including Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. PET scans not accessible in the Rockhampton region forcing patients to be referred to Mackay, Bundaberg or Brisbane.

Whilst a set travel subsidy is available for these patients, it does not cover even half the costs incurred with added pressure on the health system for those regions. Cost of living crisis further exacerbating the expense Queenslanders incur. The resident population in 2022 for Rockhampton was estimated at 124,509. The Mackay region had a similar resident population of 124,963 and Bundaberg’s population was recorded as 96,528; some 28,000 residents less than that of Rockhampton. 

Queenslanders are spending an alarming amount of time waiting on surgery waitlists, putting lives at risk resulting in poor patient outcomes.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to advance health equity for the electorates of Mirani and Rockhampton and eliminate the health disparities of those who it affects the most by allocating funding for PET scan facilities specialist workforce at the Rockhampton Base Hospital to ensure access to health care close to home, safety must also be prioritised.