More Beds, Shorter Waits in Coalition’s Real Action on Health

August 5, 2010

The Coalition will tackle the problems in Australia’s public hospitals by providing more beds, not more bureaucrats, and throw a lifeline to smaller regional hospitals, said The Nationals’ Federal Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker today.

“This is a straightforward, practical plan to make sure people get what they want from the health service – shorter waiting times for treatment in hospitals near home whenever possible,” said Mr Hartsuyker.

“Before the last election, Kevin Rudd promised he would fix the health service by June last year.  He broke that promise, and all he and Julia Gillard came up with was a plan that increased the health bureaucracy, instead of putting money where it was needed.

“As well as extra beds, the Coalition will also put the running of local hospitals in the hands of local people who understand their community and its needs. Smaller hospitals, like Bellingen, Maclean, Kempsey and Macksville will get grants to ensure their viability.”

The Coalition will provide $3.1bn for 2,800 new public hospital beds which will reduce the long waiting times in emergency departments and for elective surgery currently caused by bed shortages.  This includes the 800 extra mental health beds already announced and will deliver 1,500 more beds than the Rudd-Guillard plan.

“Public hospitals will be put in the control of the community, being run by boards of community representatives with financial and management expertise, as well as professionals from the medical, nursing and allied health fields,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“The boards will appoint a hospital chief executive officer and together they will set and manage the hospital’s budget.

“There will be a new, transparent funding model, with the Federal Government committing a set proportion of the efficient cost of public hospitals to the states and territories without any GST claw-back.

“Rural and small hospitals will also get grants to ensure their viability.

“There will also be a $150m Nursing Professional Development Fund to help nurses improve their skills and attend courses and conferences. Up to 300 nurse practitioners working in remote communities with no resident medical practitioner will be eligible for an annual $10,000 bonus and there will be an extra 100 scholarships for rural and regional nurse practitioners.

“This all amounts to a $3.6bn plan for real action on health services,” said Mr Hartsuyker.  “We’re putting our money where it’s needed, on the wards and into smaller hospitals where patients will benefit, and not into providing more jobs for bureaucrats.”