Health band-aid leaves billions short — industry experts warn “patients will suffer”

THE decision to restore $2.9 billion in health funding is welcome, but will do little to make up for the loss of over $57 billion the Abbott Government ripped from the public hospital system.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is welcoming the decision to restore some money.

But ANMF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, tells Working Life the deal — announced on Friday — is a “drop in the ocean”.

“There is still a huge gap between the $2.9 billion being pledged by the PM, and what is needed to ensure that public hospitals can operate safely, effectively and efficiently,” Ms Thomas said..

“The Government’s massive shortfall in health funding and health policy means the quantity and quality of care being delivered in public hospitals is likely to be compromised — nurses and midwives will keep struggling but at the end of the day, that means it’s their patients who will suffer.”

The ANMF will fight to make health funding one of its key priorities for the upcoming election.
“It’s crucial Mr Turnbull restores some of this shortfall in health funding in the upcoming May Budget as a matter of urgency,” says Ms Thomas.

And the ANMF welcomed COAG’s continuing commitment to providing universal healthcare for all Australians. COAG has just announced a deal for some additional funding from July 2017 to June 2020.

But it falls way short of what is needed say health professionals.

“We are particularly concerned about the impact for our members in smaller States and Territories who are much less likely than the large States to be able to achieve sufficient revenue from other sources,” says Ms Thomas.

Meanwhile, Mr Turnbull warned states they must stop asking the commonwealth for more money and to “live within their means”.

The comments come in the wake f a recent decision by most states to reject a proposal to raise their taxes to fund health and education.

Premiers last week quickly refused Mr Turnbull’s suggestion.

“When they were offered the opportunity to be able to levy a portion of income tax themselves, and have the ability in due course to raise it or indeed lower it, they had no appetite for it,” Mr Turnbull told Sky News.