Australia : Campaign against Wynnum health and aged care cuts intensifies

A community meeting will be held at Wynnum tonight, 29 November, to form a local campaign committee to coordinate the campaign to overturn the State Government?s decision to close the Moreton Bay Nursing Care Unit and downgrade a range of services at Wynnum Hospital.
The Wynnum campaign will link with similar campaigns being run around the State to protect State Government Nursing Homes and vital health services from the State LNP Government?s over-reaction to Queensland?s post-GFC and natural disasters financial position. The local campaigns are being supported by Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members in each area and partly resourced by the QNU.
Save Moreton Bay Nursing Care Unit and Wynnum Hospital campaign community meeting details
Venue
Wynnum Manly Leagues Club, 92 Wondall Road, Manly West

Speakers will include community members, nurses and QNU officials.
QNU secretary, Beth Mohle, said community anger, at the way this State Government is treating hundreds of elderly Queenslanders, is growing.
?The people of Brisbane?s bayside suburbs, on both the north and south sides, are furious about what is going on. We intend to harness that anger and send this State Government a very strong message at Wynnum and, in fact, across the State ? hands off public health services; hands off aged care; hands off Queensland services and jobs.
?Local LNP members in the Wynnum region and across the State will be asked to stand up for their communities. They won?t be allowed to hide behind the unelected Hospital and Health boards. The people of Queensland didn?t vote for the Metro South board or any other board. They voted for their members of parliament to show some leadership and stand up for jobs and services in their communities.
?We have already had a number of very successful community events over at Brighton, opposing the Eventide closure. One protest has also been held at Wynnum and with a local campaign committee in place momentum will build. The QNU has the resources to assist the staff, residents, residents? families and other interested locals run a vigorous grassroots campaign against the closure and dislocation of so many elderly people and staff.
?The campaign would include public events, advertising, petitions, political lobbying and the provision of ongoing advice and assistance to residents and their families,? Ms Mohle said.
The State Government?s plan to close the 129-place Moreton Bay Nursing Care Unit, follows its decision to initially close 80 State Government-owned aged care places at Eventide Brighton. The future of aged care places at the State Government-owned Ashworth House, at Zillmere, and Cooinda House, at Kippa-Ring, is also uncertain.
The State Government?s Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board has recently confirmed that the Farr Home nursing home at Kingaroy will close some time in the next couple of years.
In total, 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 aged care services.
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