The Arthritis Movement Response to the QLD Budget
Queensland’s 2025-26 Budget delivers a record $29.4 billion and places welcome emphasis on elective-surgery, emergency-department access and workforce growth. TAM applauds the additional $6.539 billion over four years to “restore the health budget and improve access to health services”.
Despite these important investments, the Budget does not include any dedicated funding for musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis. These conditions are among the leading contributors to disease burden in Queensland, accounting for 12% of the total burden . This impact is expected to rise with a growing and ageing population in the state. Targeted, cost-effective investment in prevention, self-management, and workforce development remains essential to reducing surgical demand and preventing avoidable hospital presentations.1 2
Budget Highlights
- $218.6 million over four years to roll out the Easier Access to Health Services Plan, aimed at “delivering care when
you need it” - $6.539 billion over four years to restore health services, including emergency, elective surgery and outpatient care
Including: - $2.212 billion over 4 years for the delivery of public hospital services to address the growth in demand and costs
for public health services, including emergency services, elective surgery and specialist outpatient services - $1.752 billion to stabilise elective-surgery wait-lists via Surgery Connect (30 000 extra procedures in 2025-26).
- $55 million for tailored solutions that ease emergency-department pressure in the State’s busiest hospitals.
What’s Missing from the Queensland Budget?
- Dedicated funding for arthritis prevention and self-management programs that can ease pressure on hospitals by
reducing avoidable emergency visits and delaying joint surgeries. - $600,000 over four years to scale the ten-week online Arthritis Moves exercise program statewide
- $640,000 over four years for rural arthritis-education seminars reaching 1 500 regional residents each year
- $400,000 over two years to pilot a Regional Rheumatology Nurse model that expands workforce capacity
TAM will continue to advocate for these initiatives to ensure timely, appropriate arthritis care is available to all people in Queensland.
For more information please contact Laura Aitken at [email protected].
