General News
31 July, 2024
Release the report: Katter calls for travel subsidy document to be made public
Robbie Katter says the report could show other recommendations that would improve the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme.
Traeger MP Robbie Katter has called for the public release of a Queensland Health administrative review into the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) after it was spruiked by government ministers during recent policy announcements.
Mr Katter said the review could provide insight into recent government policies regarding the PTSS, including the decision not to increase the daily subsidy rate in its 2024-25 state budget.
Minister for Health Shannon Fentiman has repeatedly spoken about an administrative review that she ordered last year as evidence of the government’s commitment to ensuring the PTSS provided adequate assistance to rural and remote patients.
The review was referenced twice in a government announcement last month to remove the requirement for remote patients to pay their initial four days of accommodation each financial year before qualifying for the PTSS.
Ms Fentiman also referred to the same review when providing written responses to questions from parliamentarians regarding rural and remote healthcare.
“Queensland Health is currently conducting a review of the administration of the PTSS, with a particular focus on ways the current framework can be streamlined for both patients and Hospital and Health Services,” Ms Fentiman wrote late last year.
Despite this, when North West Weekly attempted to access the review online, it was nowhere to be found.
When Queensland Health was contacted for assistance locating the review, a spokesperson attempted to downplay the review and claimed it was not available.
“This is a regular internal quality improvement process and does not involve a formal review with published findings,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Katter said the review should be published and released to the public to provide transparency surrounding recent PTSS policy announcements, especially the status of the current $70 nightly rate.
“The state government has obviously relied on the information that has been produced in that review to determine policy, so it doesn’t make sense why they would keep the report from the public unless it reveals some of the adversity we are facing out here,” he said.
“I am sure whatever the review says does not paint a very nice picture of how we are being treated in Western Queensland.
“If the review includes rationale regarding why the government has set the rate at $70 per night, then the public should be able to see it.”
As previously reported by North West Weekly, medical service providers and remote patients were left disappointed after the state government kept the PTSS rate at $70 per night.
There had been an expectation among some that the rate would be increased in the state budget.