Single funder needed to end the health blame game
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the only way to end the blame game in health was to have a single public funder for public hospitals.
Dr Pesce said the Prime Minister, the Premiers and the Chief Ministers should come out of next Monday’s COAG meeting with agreement on a single funder.
“The Commonwealth and the States must agree on a single funder that once and for all gets rid of the blame shifting and cost shifting mentality that bedevils our system,” Dr Pesce said.
“We need a single funder to directly fund our hospitals.
“The funding system must be accountable, transparent and nationally consistent so that the public can see where their tax dollars are going.
“A single funder is the glue that will bring together all the Government’s recent health reform announcements.
“At the moment, our governments can’t even get the blame game out of the negotiations or the public debate in the media.
“For as long as we have a 50-50 split or a 60-40 split, governments will always say the problems with our hospitals are somebody else’s fault.
“The current arrangements cannot be allowed to continue – no change is not an option.
“The AMA’s message for COAG next Monday is simple – a single funder, a guarantee of more new hospital beds, and significant new funding,” Dr Pesce said.
14 April 2010
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