Radio Interview - Dr Capolingua Discusses Recent Election Health Promises

The Labor Party promises $600 million over four years; 25,000 patients, Kevin Rudd said, whose doctors say they've waited too long, will be treated in 2008. That's about 19 per cent of the elective surgery lists. It includes things like knee operations. Doctors and staff could be asked to work weekends. States have to publish details of where the surgery is available. That sort of thing.

The Howard Government, $310 million to improve care for elderly and nurse and doctor training, $165 million over four years for nursing including treatment in the home. Extra GP training.

It's complex. The bottom line is whether it works or not. On the line is the President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Rosanna Capolingua.

Good morning.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Good morning.

NEIL MITCHELL: Okay. Which one?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Which one?

NEIL MITCHELL: Which one works?

DR CAPOLINGUA: We haven't started yet. There's a lot more to come as far as what we need to see for health policy that delivers the works, to use your phrase, for the people of Australia. So we've got a few things on the table now. Certainly the commitment to training, increased general practice training places, is very important.

NEIL MITCHELL: Will either of these, on what we have so far, make a difference?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Yes. Let me tell you that training positions for GPs are going to increase GP numbers, and specialist training positions to accommodate the increasing number of graduates that we have coming out of medical school will make a difference. Absolutely essential, rock bottom line.

NEIL MITCHELL: And that's the Government plan?

DR CAPOLINGUA: That's the current Government plan that addresses that area. The Labor plan addresses another area. So you can't sort of compare them as such because they're addressing different areas. We've got a jigsaw puzzle to put together to give the big picture of what we need in health and, at the moment, we're getting pieces delivered by each side.

NEIL MITCHELL: Okay. You say the Government's side helps in that sense. How does the Opposition plan help? Where does that help? Waiting lists?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Well we're looking at - the target there is waiting lists. I guess what the AMA feels is that it needs to see what is going to go forward in the Australian Health Care Agreement, which is what funds the public hospitals in Australia.

We're asking for an increase of $3 billion up front. So you can see that the monies promised at the moment are nowhere near that and we're looking forward to seeing what the rest of that particular commitment is, to see whether it comes up to that level.

We can aim, and it's a good aim, to try and clear our elective surgery waiting lists but you have to actually have doctors, nurses, beds, and theatre time open in order to be able to deliver that. So you need more than just those commitments that were shown yesterday.

NEIL MITCHELL: So what - if I'm a person who is concerned that I might need to use the emergency system or I'm concerned about elective surgery, I can't afford private insurance - if I'm a person in the middle who is really concerned that the health system works as well as it can, at this stage I can't make up my mind, can I?

DR CAPOLINGUA: If you're asking about who to vote for, no, at this stage I don't think so. I think we haven't seen what is to come as far as public hospitals in the big picture go as yet.

NEIL MITCHELL: So what do I look for? What do I look for in the remaining policies? Is it as simple as saying money? You say you need $3 billion. Do I just look at what comes out and say well who is putting in the most money?

DR CAPOLINGUA: The AMA is looking for a number of things and it is more than just money. You're quite right. Three billion dollars up front in funding in the Australian Health Care Agreement. The indexation in the Australian Health Care Agreements in the past has been five per cent per year. That needs to go up to eight to nine per cent to meet the true demands and increasing need.

So that's the money bit. Then we need to look at how that's going to be delivered and so we want to see a clear commitment for beds being opened. We need to look at the management side of things and there's been a lot of discussion about whether Commonwealth control of the public hospitals is a good thing or whether it should stay status quo.

The AMA believes that to hand over control to the Commonwealth will actually not serve the Australian public any better. We think and believe that you need a local, hands-on management of the hospitals and how they deliver care to the people of that State…

NEIL MITCHELL: A bit like John Howard - like Tony Abbott's local boards?

DR CAPOLINGUA: The local and - yeah the local and regional board model for management of the hospitals is one that really is very connected to the people and responsive. At the moment you know the State Health Departments run the hospitals, and it is about employees of the Minister and the State Health Department running hospitals.

They are disconnected from that accountability to the community and if you put a board in place in between, we believe that we'll have that connection and accountability and maybe even reduce the number of bureaucrats and administrators required.

So it's a lot of - as I said, it's not that simple. Lots of pictures to look at. We've got to make sure doctors and nurses are attracted…

NEIL MITCHELL: So when do we get all this? When do we get the guts of it?

DR CAPOLINGUA: What have we got - four weeks left? Not quite?

NEIL MITCHELL: Three.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Three, three and a half weeks to go and I believe and understand that there are going to be some major announcements in the next few weeks.

NEIL MITCHELL: Okay. Thank you very much. Dr Rosanna Capolingua, President of the Australian Medical Association.

Ends