Hospital Beds - the missing link in Health Reform

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the Government’s hospital reforms will not be fully effective unless all governments work together to deliver 3,870 new public hospital beds and the staff and resources required to operate them.

Dr Pesce said the AMA had carefully examined the Federal Government’s policy announcements, as well as the alternative Victorian Government proposal, and the biggest thing missing is certainty on hospital beds.

“The incentives being offered by the Government to reduce waiting times in emergency departments and for elective surgery will only work if hospital capacity is significantly expanded.

“And the only way to properly expand capacity is to put new beds into the system, which will ease access block and allow hospitals to operate at a safe 85 per cent occupancy rate.”

Neither the Federal Government nor the Victorian Government have committed to this most important part of the hospital reform jigsaw puzzle.

The AMA has updated its stocktake on hospital capacity and has calculated an immediate need for 3,870 new public hospital beds, with ongoing growth in the future to respond appropriately to growth in the population in each jurisdiction.

This represents a mix of acute, sub-acute, intensive care and other public hospital beds, the detail of which should be determined in consultation with medical practitioners working in the system at each location.  These revised figures are based on advice and feedback from clinicians on the ground in each State and Territory.