7 December 2009
A little more action and a little less conversation is needed if COAG is to deliver a secure
future for Australia's public health system, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals
Association (AHHA) warned.
"The Australian public should feel let down by the lack of action by COAG at its meeting
today," Ms Prue Power, AHHA Executive Director said today.
"While the announcement of $300 million for elective surgery and the sign-off on the
privacy legislation for Healthcare Identifiers are welcomed by public hospitals, the AHHA
remains disappointed at COAG's ongoing deferral of a decision on health system reform.
"The Federal Government went to the last election promising reform on health. It put
into place a comprehensive reform process followed by extensive community
consultation.
"AHHA supported both of these actions but only on the basis that they were supported
by a genuine commitment to reform. Now that these processes have been undertaken, it
is time for governments to act. The community expects it and the future of our health
system depends upon it.
"AHHA and other health stakeholder groups have put considerable time and resources
into developing policy reform options and had an expectation that these would be
seriously considered by Government.
"After all this input from the health sector and the community it is simply not good
enough to put off – yet again – a decision on health system reform.
"The outcome today can only be characterised as a continued holding pattern for the
Australian community. If the Government is not careful, the plane may run out of fuel
before it has a chance to land safely.," Ms Power said.
For further information/comment:
Ms Prue Power 0417 419 857
More action needed on
health system reform
NEWS 
