QUEENSLAND Health Minister Steven Miles has defended against claims of a broken promise on bed numbers at Logan Hospital.
The Palaszczuk government pledged $679 million would be spent upgrading Logan, Caboolture and Ipswich hospitals to provide capacity for an extra 370 beds.
Logan Hospital was promised 192 beds.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington said it was revealed in parliament that the beds would not be delivered this term.
"This is a massive broken promise from Annastacia Palaszczuk," Ms Frecklington said.
"...We saw an unprecedented crisis across major south-east Queensland hospitals, with sick Queenslanders being warned against going to hospital.
"Now we've learned Labor have lied to Queenslanders about promised hospital upgrades that are years away.
"You cannot trust a word Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor say about health. This is the last thing patients and frontline health staff needed from a service suffering critical neglect under Labor."
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the additional beds would be gradually rolled out for Logan and Caboolture Hospital from 2020 to 2023.
"We made a $281 million commitment over five years to redevelop the Logan Hospital, and a further $253 million over five years to redevelop the Caboolture Hospital," Mr Miles said.
"At the last state election, 31 commitments were made to boost frontline staff, build better hospitals and increase patient care. In the last year, we have delivered 23 of those commitments, eight are underway.
"Since being elected we have delivered 527 new beds in our hospitals - opened, available, treating patients, delivered between July 2016 and June 2018."
A business cause into the Logan Hospital upgrade has been completed.
This comes after the Metro South Health emergency departments experienced one of the busiest Februaries on record. Princess Alexandra, QEII Jubilee, Logan, Redland and Beaudesert hospitals treated 10 per cent more patients requiring immediate life-saving care than during the same time in 2018.
