Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House the absence of a permanently-based paediatric cardiologist in Townsville or the wider North Queensland region. There are currently hundreds of children in the North with heart conditions who are required to fly down to Brisbane at taxpayers' expense to see a paediatric cardiologist or are forced to wait for a cardiologist to visit Townsville four times a year for two days each time. These visiting appointments are often filled very quickly, with families forced to wait hours to see a cardiologist. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paediatric cardiologist is no longer visiting North Queensland, leaving hundreds of children in the children without access.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to do all within its power for a full-time paediatric cardiologist to be based in North Queensland to ensure children with heart conditions are able to better access the care they need.