Coalition health plan has gaps, say Greens
View Edit Media Release | Spokesperson Rachel Siewert
Thursday 5th August 2010, 4:25pm
The Australian Greens say the Coalition’s health plan may offer short
term improvements to hospital waiting lists but not reduce the number of
Australians requiring admission.
Health spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert says two thirds of the $3
billion promised for new beds will be directed to hospitals, offering
some initial reduction in access block but doing nothing to reduce
further demand.
“This plan only addresses one part of the problem. Increasing hospital
beds is ineffective if we don’t also reduce the number of Australians
requiring hospitalisation for preventable and chronic illness.
“Hospital care is the most expensive form of treatment within our health
system. The Greens realise that health and economic outcomes will
improve if more money is spent on keeping people healthy and out of
hospital in the first place.
“Preventative and early intervention policies make economic sense. The
Greens have released comprehensive prevention policies that include
social marketing, a levy on junk food advertising, Traffic Light food
labelling and a minimum floor price for tobacco.
“Tony Abbott could only suggest ‘diet and exercise’ when asked for
action on prevention and that simply isn’t good enough for a former
Health Minister.
The Greens have welcomed the Coalition’s promised funding for mental
health beds, saying they should be directed to sub acute and community
care.
But Senator Siewert has warned that the Coalition’s plan to consider a
100% single-funder could be hard to implement.
“It’s not as simple as the Coalition seems to think, Senator Siewert
said.
“Mr Abbott needs to explain how he intends to deal with the special
interests of state health bureaucracies not to mention the special
interests of the AMA, the Australian Pharmacy Guild, pharmaceutical
companies and private health insurance funds. And where does he see the
consumer in all this?
“The Coalition knows full well that such a plan requires extensive
administration which won’t be achieved through motherhood statements
that have no chance of being realised,” concluded Senator Siewert.
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