Queensland's Health Minister Cameron Dick is the second high-profile Queenslander to call on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to find an extra 15 medical training places to let the new $1.9 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital open with a medical school in April.
A national review of medical training places around Australia – including the Sunshine Coast - will be finished by April 2017, Rural Health Minister Dr David Gillespie said.
However Dr Gillespie said he was not in a position to say whether an extra 15 spaces could be found and says a "national audit" of medical training places must be considered first by Cabinet.
The new hospital was promised 50 medical training places, but the University of Queensland pulled out of the deal in 2013 believing it was not financial.
Since then, Griffith University has offered to operate the Sunshine Coast University Hospital's medical training school, but has requested 50 places, not the 35 places that are now available.
Mr Dick reminded Mr Turnbull that the LNP held every Sunshine Coast seat in Queensland's state parliament and also both federal seats on the Sunshine Coast.
"So I am calling on the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to actually get involved and make a decision for the Sunshine Coast," Mr Dick said.
"He has a vested interest in this," he said.
"As everyone knows, the LNP controls all of the seats in state parliament and all of the seats here in the federal parliament as well."
"This part of Queensland has been very good to the LNP over a long period of time and it is about time the LNP stopped taking the Sunshine Coast for granted."
No-one from Griffith University's medical school nor media section answered a phone call on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Dick on Tuesday on the Sunshine Coast said he was fed up after speaking with three different federal ministers over the issue in the past 14 months; former Health Minister Sussan Ley, Education Minister Simon Birmingham and rural health minister Dr David Gillespie.
"These ministers have been batting the ball between themselves for so long now they should be at the Australian Open," health minister Cameron Dick said.
"What we need is a decision to provide 50 medical places to this medical school, so it can operate."
Mr Dick said time to find the new medical places was "now critical" and the opening of the new medical school – where Mr Dick visited on Tuesday – could be delayed for 12 months.
"If we don't get those 15 extra places by February 15 then this medical school will not open until 2020," Mr Dick said.
Previously Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson – now Queensland's Local Government Association president - began a social media campaign on January 3 to urge Prime Minister Turnbull to find the extra 15 medical training places.
Dr Gillespie said Mr Dick's comments "perplexed" him because they worked well on several health committees together.
"I'm a bit perplexed and surprised by him making this a state political issue," Dr Gillespie said.
He confirmed a national review of all medical school training places at 18 medical training schools around Australia.
"I know he wants to get a result now, but we got 18 medical schools that we are reviewing and we have to go through due process," Dr Gillespie said.
"We don't just shoot from the hip."
He said he did not think it would be possible to act on a preliminary report on medical training places that might become available before the report was finalised in April 2017.
"No. Look I understand their concern, but Griffith University has indicated that it will take 18 months to establish a medical school."
Dr Gillespie said the review was trying to short-circuit a potential glut of 7000 medical trainees by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare by 2030.
"We don't want them all driving taxis."
Fairfax Media understands Griffith University has offered to run the Sunshine Coast University Hospital's new medical school with 35 places, but could not speak with anyone on Tuesday.
