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$1.4 billion welcome but not without risk
The Labor Party’s $1.4 billion commitment to health announced today is welcome and recognises a number of problem areas in the health system, AMA Victoria President Dr Mark Yates said.
“The recognition of the need for improvements in elective surgery, emergency departments and outpatients is welcome. These are key areas AMA Victoria has been concerned about for sometime.
“Outpatients is a disaster and patients and doctors are telling us it has got worse over the last three years. The further funding committed by Labor is desperately needed.
“However, it is disappointing a commitment has not been made to make the system transparent with publicly available waiting times and performance targets, so funding can then be directed to the areas of most need.”
Dr Yates said further commitment was also needed to ensure funding for hospital buildings was matched by funding for appropriate staff resources, information technology and up to date equipment.
In addition, Dr Yates said a number of initiatives announced could be high risk and needed to be further evaluated.
He said of particular concern was significant investment in dedicated elective surgery centres to address long waits for elective surgery, when it may be more appropriate to increase funding and services at existing hospitals, to allow people to be treated closer to home.
“Each hospital should have the infrastructure and funding to provide elective surgery at an appropriate level for their community,” Dr Yates said.
“The two extra dedicated elective surgery centres announced will take a long time to come on-line and will further centralise elective surgery.
“The impact of the new Alfred elective surgery centre is unknown, and should be assessed before such significant funding is committed to other centres.“
Responsibility for election comment is taken by J Stephens, 293 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052.
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