AMA warns of ‘perfect storm’ to hit Australia’s public hospital system

AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, and AMA Vice President, Dr Stephen Parnis, will tomorrow release the AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2015, an AMA analysis of the performance of Australia’s public hospitals.

A/Prof Owler said that the AMA is warning of a ‘perfect storm’ in Australia’s public hospital system as Commonwealth funding shrinks and performance benchmarks are not being met.

“Public hospital funding will be the biggest challenge facing State and Territory budgets,” A/Prof Owler said.

A/Prof Owler and Dr Parnis both work in public hospitals, and know first-hand the pressure faced by hospitals and hospital staff when public hospitals do not have the capacity to provide treatment efficiently and effectively to people needing acute care.

The AMA Report Card examines public hospital capacity; emergency department waiting and treatment times; and elective surgery waiting and treatment times. It also provides a State-by-State snapshot of performance.

Launch of AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2015

Time:               11.00am

Date:               Thursday, 16 April 2015

CONTACT:        John Flannery                     02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761

                            Odette Visser                      02 6270 5412 / 0427 209 753

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