AMA calls for new health policy focus to end the 'Blame Game'
AMA Vice President, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, said today that there must be a change in the focus of health policy in Australia away from illness and towards prevention to end the 'blame game' detailed in yesterday's report on the Parliamentary inquiry into health funding.
Dr Yong said a number of the recommendations in The Blame Game report, particularly the call for a national health agenda, reflect the policy directions set out in the AMA's Position Statement on Public Health, which was adopted at the November meeting of the AMA Federal Council.
"Health service delivery should be cost effective, and inequalities in service quality and access to health care should be eliminated," Dr Yong said.
"As the Australian community confronts serious public health issues such as obesity, climate change, and a possible influenza pandemic, public health must be the organising principle for a national health agenda
"The health of the population as a whole should be the most important measure of the Government's success in dealing with the health needs of the community.
"The current approach measures success solely in terms of health service provision, but the task is much bigger than that.
"Resources need to be allocated in a way that recognises the relative disadvantage of sections of the community, such as Indigenous Australians, the poor, and the aged.
"The best way to achieve this is through broader socially-inclusive public health principles, and a greater focus on preventive medicine," Dr Yong said.
In its Position Statement on Public Health, the AMA is advocating the elevation of the Health Minister to an overarching Minister for Public Health with the tasks of structurally shifting the focus of the Australian health system from disease to health and reducing health inequalities.
Dr Yong said a Minister for Public Health would assess the potential health impact of a range of Government decisions and initiatives across many portfolio areas including energy, education, housing, manufacturing, and employment.
"A Minister for Public Health would be a catalyst for a new, smarter, more cooperative way to run Australia's health system and would put an end to the destructive 'blame game' between the Commonwealth and the States and between agencies," Dr Yong said.
To view the AMA Position Statement on Public Health follow the link.