The Doctors Reform Society today condemned the Queensland State Government for selling out public hospital patients by accepting the Federal Government's five year public hospital agreement.

"Thousands of Queenslanders are on public hospital waiting lists.  These numbers will dramatically increase over the next five years as a result of the Queensland Government accepting the scandalously inadequate funding for public hospitals" said Dr Peter Davoren, President of the Queensland Branch of the Doctors Reform Society.

"It is clear that the Borbidge Government agrees with the Federal Government's plan to make more people seek treatment in the private system in Queensland" said Dr Davoren.

"As doctors we warn all Queenslanders that the agreement signed today by the Borbidge Government will lead to severe underfunding of the public hospital system in Queensland" said Dr Davoren.

" This will not only increase waiting lists but people will die waiting for  hospital care.  The $40 million dollar extra funding received by Queensland from the Federal Government will only be of short term benefit and in the long term, public hospitals will be severely underfunded" said Dr Davoren.

"This is one further step toward the unfair, two-tiered, expensive American health system" said Dr Davoren.

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