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Sick system needs surgery (Herald Sun, opinion)
EVERY Victorian knows our public hospital system is on the precipice.
Patients, doctors, nurses and other health care workers deal with the problems every day.
The review commissioned by the former Health Minister Bronwyn Pike has found Victoria's public hospitals are under significant stress with low morale.
Waiting lists are increasing, and more patients than ever are seeking care from old and over-stressed hospitals.
This is the minefield the Council of Australian Governments stepped into.
The Rudd Government is taking a greater share of responsibility to fix the system, and under co-operative federalism is seeking to work with the Brumby Government to improve our health system.
Hopefully, history will show this as brave rather than foolhardy.
Yesterday's COAG meeting saw announcements for an extra $1bn in hospital funding, 50,000 vocational training places for hospital workers, $158m for transitional beds for elderly Australians and a plan to make it easier for health professionals to practise across state boundaries.
All are sensible proposals welcomed by the medical profession, although some details are yet to be finalised.
The commitment to an extra 50,000 vocational training places will help fill in some of the gaps in dental health, nursing and indigenous health.
The longer term challenge is to make such roles meaningful and ensure that these people will want to work in a team environment with doctors, registered nurses and allied health professionals.
The funding towards an extra 2000 transitional care beds is especially welcome.
The new Commonwealth money will fall short of the real cost of the beds, particularly funds for staffing and support services.
Patients, doctors, nurses and other health care workers deal with the problems every day.
The review commissioned by the former Health Minister Bronwyn Pike has found Victoria's public hospitals are under significant stress with low morale.
Waiting lists are increasing, and more patients than ever are seeking care from old and over-stressed hospitals.
This is the minefield the Council of Australian Governments stepped into.
The Rudd Government is taking a greater share of responsibility to fix the system, and under co-operative federalism is seeking to work with the Brumby Government to improve our health system.
Hopefully, history will show this as brave rather than foolhardy.
Yesterday's COAG meeting saw announcements for an extra $1bn in hospital funding, 50,000 vocational training places for hospital workers, $158m for transitional beds for elderly Australians and a plan to make it easier for health professionals to practise across state boundaries.
All are sensible proposals welcomed by the medical profession, although some details are yet to be finalised.
The commitment to an extra 50,000 vocational training places will help fill in some of the gaps in dental health, nursing and indigenous health.
The longer term challenge is to make such roles meaningful and ensure that these people will want to work in a team environment with doctors, registered nurses and allied health professionals.
The funding towards an extra 2000 transitional care beds is especially welcome.
The new Commonwealth money will fall short of the real cost of the beds, particularly funds for staffing and support services.
But this commitment addresses a key priority of doctors, to ensure that our public hospitals have the capacity to treat growing numbers of patients.
A national register of health professionals is sensible as long as it maintains the independent assessment of qualifications and competence.
A national register of health professionals is sensible as long as it maintains the independent assessment of qualifications and competence.
In the first four months of COAG work under the new Federal Government, there is a lot to like.
Yet, the tough questions are still to be addressed.
We need to support training for medical students to become specialist doctors.
We need to revitalise general practice.
We need to address the deeper capacity crisis affecting hospitals.
Yet, the tough questions are still to be addressed.
We need to support training for medical students to become specialist doctors.
We need to revitalise general practice.
We need to address the deeper capacity crisis affecting hospitals.
Too many people are missing out on clinically appropriate care (264,700 Victorians in 2006/07).
Too many people wait too long for operations and emergency departments spend too much time looking for beds rather than treating patients.
Unfortunately, these big issues will probably come down to funding.
Good quality health care is not cheap.
A new set of Australian Health Care Agreements are now due next July. The Commonwealth needs to dig deep.
Under the previous government, the Commonwealth share of hospital funding fell from over 50 per cent to just 40.5 per cent.
The federal input is now $715 million short of the Victorian Government's spending on hospitals.
That money would make a huge difference to patient care in Victoria.
Doctors are ready and waiting to help governments to improve patient care.
It will require a team effort.
Let's hope the team hangs together through the coming debates on responsibilities for funding.
Unfortunately, these big issues will probably come down to funding.
Good quality health care is not cheap.
A new set of Australian Health Care Agreements are now due next July. The Commonwealth needs to dig deep.
Under the previous government, the Commonwealth share of hospital funding fell from over 50 per cent to just 40.5 per cent.
The federal input is now $715 million short of the Victorian Government's spending on hospitals.
That money would make a huge difference to patient care in Victoria.
Doctors are ready and waiting to help governments to improve patient care.
It will require a team effort.
Let's hope the team hangs together through the coming debates on responsibilities for funding.
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