A number of local nurses and our State MP have welcomed, in principle, COAG (Council of Australian Governments) support for a single, independent entity to oversee health expenditure, but have warned the system needs more delivery of health services, not more bureaucrats.
The agreement follows the historic reforms reached by COAG in April last year.
NSW has retained the 488 beds and additional $1.2 billion agreed to in April 2010.
In addition, NSW secured an extra $260 million for health and hospital funding.
At the COAG meeting, the Commonwealth agreed to guarantee $16.4 billion in growth funding for the nation.
This is up from $15.6 billion.
NSW’s share of that comes to almost $5.5 billion – that’s an extra $260 million.
The Commonwealth has agreed to bring forward $200 million in incentive payments.
For NSW, this means about $26 million in 2010/11 and $40 million in 2011/12 to further improve our already nationally recognised emergency departments and elective surgery program.
However, independent member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling said, at this early stage, he’s not convinced an overseeing authority won’t add to our already bloated health bureaucracy which, in NSW, has reached about 30,000 people.
“However, we can’t keep heading down the path we’re on. We need to achieve more health care for our tax dollars and we can’t do that unless we stop the duplication of effort, the cost shifting and the lack of transparency,” Mr Besseling said.
“This new entity should put patients ahead of politics. We should know how much money has gone into the funding pool, who put it in and how much is being spent. The current system is unsustainable and provides the states and Commonwealth with the opportunity to blame each other for poor clinical outcomes, lack of infrastructure and service delivery cost blow-outs.
“I don’t think anyone would deny that the current system needs an overhaul. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s estimates put national health expenditure at $104 billion in 2007-08, or $4878 for every man, woman and child. That sort of expenditure simply is not sustainable. We need more productive hospitals, we need greater transparency and we need greater accountability from government.
“The Australian Medical Association puts the conservative cost of wasted health dollars nationwide at between two and four billion a year – money that should be invested into better aged care, acute care and community and mental health services,” Mr Besseling said.
The Australian Nursing Federation has urged the Federal Government and its state and territory counterparts to move ahead with vital health reforms.
ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas said, funding issues aside, Australian nurses and midwives supported a national health care reform agenda with a focus on primary health.
“We can’t stand still on health reform; we must ensure primary health care initiatives, e-health and local hospital networks move forward to improve access, keep people out of hospitals and promote excellent health outcomes for the community,” said Ms Thomas.
“The Federal government has proposed welcome changes to the architecture of Australia’s health system; and nurses and midwives expect bipartisan support for this reform,” Ms Thomas said.
