DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
PUBLIC HOSPITAL PATIENTS MISS OUT AS OUR TAXES GO TO PRIVATE HEALTH
“Today’s release about the sorry state of our public hospitals should be a wake-up call to the
Federal Government,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society. “Since
1997, the Federal Government’s contribution to government funding of public hospitals
has
fallen from 43 to 39%, whilst the State Governments have increased their contribution from
50% to 53% (traditionally a 50/50 share arrangement). That represents a federal shortfall of
$2-3 billion per year -
even allowing for the extra money the Federal Government has
provided in the last year. Such a shortfall leaves the States struggling to find funds to invest in
providing more hospital beds, and in staffing the beds that exist. In that same period the
taxpayer subsidised private hospital industry has increased its capital expenditure by 200%,
all courtesy of the inequitable Private Health Insurance rebate the Federal Government and
the Australian Medical Association continue to support.”
“At the same time the federal government has underfunded aged care services, rationed
primary care by rationing doctor numbers and found an extra $3.4 billion annually to give to
the private health insurance funds, thus putting an enormous increased load on the states and
our public hospitals.”
“It’s no wonder that public hospitals and their emergency departments are overcrowded and
an amazing fact that, once into a public hospital, the care still remains of such high quality -
despite the funding, the low morale, and the shortages of staff; staff who are often next door
in the taxpayer funded private hospital caring for patients who are lucky enough to be able to
afford private health insurance.”
“It’s time the Rudd Government addressed the problems it, and previous federal
governments, have created,” said Dr Woodruff. “It's time the federal government started
giving genuine support and funding to our public hospitals – as well as turning their attention
to improving the way that funds are used. It’s 2 years now since the Rudd government
inherited the grossly underfunded public hospital system from the Howard government. It’s
surely time to fund public hospital properly before working out how to
impose conditions on
how States spend their money.”
Dr Tim Woodruff
Dr Con Costa
President
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society
Ph 0418400309
Ph 0401042619
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