Matt Conlan MLA

Shadow Minister for;
Health
Central Australia
Alcohol Policy

Release date: 05 March 2010

 

DIAGNOSING FUTURE FUNDING

The Henderson Government must undertake a comprehensive health funding analysis before COAG meets next month to discuss the Prime Minister’s proposed changes to health funding.

“At present the Territory Government has no medium to long term funding model for the provision of health services in the Territory,” says Matt Conlan, Shadow Health Minister.

“The disaster that has been SIHIP should stand as a stark warning to the Henderson Government about the need to do its sums properly.

“So poor was the Territory Government’s estimate about the cost of delivering the housing and infrastructure project that the infrastructure component has now been dropped entirely to keep the cost at $670 million.

“It underestimated the actual cost of SIHIP by hundreds of millions of dollars and we can’t afford a similar miscalculation on health.

“The fact is without a funding model for the future demands upon our health system the Territory Government won’t be able to properly assess the impact of the Prime Minister’s proposed changed to health funding.

“It would be grossly negligent to enter negotiations about changes to health funding and our tax base without a clear understanding of where future costs are heading under the current arrangements.

“There is considerable consternation interstate about the impact the proposed changes would have upon regional hospitals.

The Daily Telegragh has reported:

NSW Health officials warned that as many as 100 smaller community hospitals may become financially unviable under a new payment-per-service model unveiled in Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's hospital reform plan yesterday.

Professor Bob Farnsworth, chair of the Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service's health advisory council, said Mr Rudd's reforms were "appalling" and "potentially a disaster" for NSW.

“The Henderson Government needs to be certain the proposed changes will work in favour of all of the Territory’s hospitals,” says Matt Conlan.




Further comment: Matt Conlan 0408 805 338