Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, Royal Adelaide Hospital
PHELPS: I am here today in Adelaide to bring to the attention of the South Australian public, the importance of health issues in this state election. We have major problems in South Australia with the public hospitals, in terms of their funding. There are major issues with mental health in South Australia and we also have some serious problems in issues like the emergency departments, access to beds, and aged care.
QUESTION: Dr Phelps, which party do you think is going to fill, or serve the health industry better in this election?
PHELPS: The task of the AMA is to raise health to the number one election issue, and, I believe that the AMA task has been very successful in that regard. In terms of which party is able to best serve the electorate, we have had responses to the AMA's Key Health Issues document from both parties, and I have to say from most points of view, it is reasonably disappointing.
QUESTION: What do you see as the key issues for South Australia …… rhetoric on both sides about mental health, about regional services and so on, um, do they just not understand? I mean, why, is there a lack of, you know, funding, or a lack of understanding?
PHELPS: I think there is a lack of understanding, and I that understanding would improve if the bureaucrats were, perhaps removed a little from the decision - making process and the doctors and nurses who actually work at the coalface were listened to. And we could quite easily tell them where the problems are lying, why the patients are having problems, where the money could be better spent.
QUESTION: Why do they not want a heavy bureaucracy?
PHELPS: Bureaucracies tend to evolve, they tend to self replicate, they tend to create empires for their own existence, and I think what we need to do is to see more accountability, we need to see what we are getting for that bureaucratic dollar, and if all we are getting is more bureaucrats, then it's not good enough. Thank you.
Ends