Premier Peter Beattie has conceded his Government could lose the seat of Bundaberg at the next election because of local anger over the Dr Death scandal.

But Mr Beattie defended local Labor member Nita Cunningham following claims she had failed to act after receiving complaints from constituents about Bundaberg Base Hospital.

However, he conceded the fallout over the appointment of overseas-trained Dr Jayant Patel would be damaging to his Government.

“The Bundaberg Hospital saga has been very damaging to us, both in terms of the local seat and we’ve got a fight on our hands to hold it, and in terms of the perception of health,” Mr Beattie said.

“There will be a price the Government will pay for this. I don’t know how extensive that will be.”

Ms Cunningham, a former mayor, has held the seat of Bundaberg since 1998. She holds it by a margin of 5.29 per cent.

She has denied claims that she failed to act on complaints about the hospital and attended last week’s public meeting where she came face-to-face with victims.

Mr Beattie also continued to defend his Health Minister Gordon Nuttall yesterday. He said that shortcomings uncovered regarding overseas-trained doctors had been part of the system for some time, long before he was appointed to the portfolio.

The Dr Death scandal has dominated State Parliament all week. Mr Nuttall has fielded nearly all the National and Liberal parties questions in the daily hour-long session of Question Time.

Unlike his predecessor Wendy Edmond, Mr Nuttall has remained calm amid the avalance of criticism and has defended his track record.

However, his laidback manner has promted the Opposition parties to claim he is not treating the matter with the urgency it requires.

After days of weathering Opposition attacks, Mr Nuttall went on the offensive in State Parliament to hit out at plaintiff lawyers rushing to sign-up former patients of Dr Patel.

Mr Nuttall said it was interfering with Queenslands Health’s efforts to organise corrective treatment.

As we are endeavouring to contact some of these people they are also being advised by their lawyers not to talk to us,” Mr Nuttall said.

But Carter Capner partner Ian Brown, who has been retained by more than 100 former patients of Dr Patel, said Mr Nuttall’s claims were “blantantly untrue.

“It is a cowardly attack from the Minister who is trying to deflect attention from the real issue. It is outrageously and blantantly untrue,” Mr Brown said.