QLD:Qld govt rejects aged care sale claim

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2010
QLD:Qld govt rejects aged care sale claim

By Paul Osborne

BRISBANE, Aug 4 AAP - The Queensland government has rejected claims it plans to add
aged care services to its privatisation list.

Queensland Health operates 20 residential aged care facilities across 14 health service
districts.

The government is in the process of selling $15 billion in major public assets.

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek tabled in state parliament on Wednesday the health
minister's "charter of goals", which appeared to support for the sale of public aged care
facilities.

The charter includes the line: "Promote the role of non-government and private sector
in the delivery of residential aged care services and where appropriate consider the transfer
of Queensland Health facilities to these providers."

Mr Langbroek asked Premier Anna Bligh whether she would confirm "that Labor has reached
a new low with its plan to privatise and sell off nursing homes".

Ms Bligh said the government had no plan to privatise its nursing homes.

"That's been a policy that's been put on the record and repeated over and over again,"

Ms Bligh said.

"There is however some interest from some nursing home operators in the non-government
not for profit community sector and there has been discussions with them.

"Why are they seeking assistance from the state government? Because they haven't been
able to secure the finance they need to access the places available through the commonwealth
government."

Anton Kardash, chief executive of industry body Aged Care Queensland, said he was not
aware of any members holding talks with Queensland Health about buying its homes.

But he said Queensland Health had frequently transferred licences, enabling his members
to build or extend a facility.

"This has allowed Queensland Health to realign its services into rehabilitation and
the sub-acute sector," Mr Kardash told AAP.

"In doing that it's never talked to any of my members about selling off the services."

He said he would be surprised if there were a market for any of the QH facilities at the moment.

He said the current return on an aged care bed was less than two per cent a year, with
a typical centre costing around $20 million to build.

"The industry is on its knees at the moment," he said.

AAP pjo/dep

KEYWORD: ASSETS QLD WRAP

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