HEALTH Minister Lawrence Springborg is expected in Moura today to meet with local community leaders and doctors in the wake of the hospital closure scandal.
Mr Springborg's visit comes after strong community action stopped the Central Queensland Health and Hospital Service's proposal to close the Moura Hospital.
While local residents are breathing a small sigh of relief, reports are continuing to circulate that the future of several other Central Queensland medical facilities remains in question.
Mr Springborg, backed by Premier Campbell Newman, has given a firm, public undertaking that hospitals in Queensland will only be closed as a last resort and only after thorough public consultation.
Head of the Moura action group John McTaggart said while discussions with the CQHHS were still tense after the events of the past month, all parties had resolved to work together.
"Trust is built over a long time, but can very easily and quickly be destroyed," he said.
Rural Doctors Association of Queensland president Adam Coltzau said it was important for Mr Springborg to reassure the Moura community that their hospital would remain open.
"The community would certainly like to hear that there are plans in place to ensure local health services are provided and will continue into the future," he said.
Today's ministerial briefings come against the backdrop of a massive public meeting held in Moura last Thursday, which saw members of the CQ Hospital and Health Service (HHS) Board back down in front of an estimated 600 people by vowing to fight alongside residents and employer groups to see local health services enhanced instead of downgraded.
"We have had a very good meeting - very constructive," CQHHS Board chairman Charles Ware said.
"While the outcome is still a little fuzzy, we know where we want to go as a board and as the Moura community, and that is to a new model of care that will be sustainable and can be duplicated throughout rural Queensland."
Earlier in the night, Mr Ware had outlined a proposal to close the Moura Hospital and transfer most of the emergency services to the Moura Medical Centre. He said the proposal was designed to help the CQHHS Board cope with the withdrawal of $4.8 million in Federal Government funding this financial year.
The board argued that it had been costing more than $8000 a day to keep the hospital open and that occupancy rates had been declining in recent years.
But the 600-strong crowd voiced strong opposition to the proposal, with many disputing the board's figures.
During a short break midway through proceedings, local advocates Debbie Elliot and Chris Jones approached the board with a new proposal to put all plans on hold while a new consultation period began.
"We could see the meeting was getting bogged down looking at a proposal that would have never worked in Moura, so we approached them about a new way forward," Ms Elliot said.
"We want to go to the Minister together and see if we can look at creating a really innovative model of health care in Moura that can be used as an example for the whole state."
Mr Ware gave a public assurance that the Moura Hospital would remain open and no jobs would be lost while the consultation period continued.
But Mr Ware stopped short of making an assurance that no hospitals would close in the CQHHS district on his watch. "I can assure everyone here tonight that the Moura Hospital will not close while this consultation period is on and that we are committed to working with the local community to find a solution," he said.
Mr Ware said he was surprised and humbled by the outcome of the meeting.
"I have been following the community protest and I have been getting a lot of emails, phone calls and personal mail myself so I was well aware of the community outrage," he said.
"That's why we came here - we are a very open board and we have nothing to hide. We put it all on the table and got the feedback we wanted. Unfortunately, it took us a while to do that and I apologised for that at the meeting."
Several locals also voiced outrage that the local member Jeff Seeney and Health Minister Laurence Springborg had not attended the meeting.
But Mr Ware said he had not expected any state members to attend.
"We want to row our own boat," he said.
There was also concern among locals that Moura health services were under review when the local mining industry generated significant wealth for the State Government.
Former councillor and Theodore resident, Ron Bock, said it was a travesty that health services in Moura remained under review when the mining industry generated significant wealth for the State Government's coffers.
"When the LNP Government was elected this time, part of the deal was that they were going to return some of the royalties back to places like Moura," he said.
"Millions of dollars in royalties and taxes have come out of this community and yet they are not prepared to spend a measly one million dollars to bring the hospital up to scratch."
