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Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Page: 4468

Hospitals

Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania—Deputy Government Whip in the Senate) (14:57): Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister Ludwig. Can the minister please inform the Senate about recent developments in the Gillard government's health reform agenda?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:57): I thank Senator Carol Brown for her question. The Gillard government has struck an historic deal with all states and territories that will significantly reform the health system in Australia. This historic agreement will deliver the funding public hospitals need with unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability, less waste and significantly less waiting for patients. Most importantly though, it is a health reform deal that will deliver for patients. It is a deal that will mean 1,300 beds. This deal will result in $19.8 billion in extra funding. We will share in the growth in services in equal partnership with full accountability of where every dollar of public hospital funding is going. To deliver value for money hospitals will be paid for the services that they actually perform. There will also be national standards for emergency departments and elective surgery.

Further, to improve transparency performance will be publicly reported on the MyHospitals website. There will also be more local governance of health services through the establishment of local hospital networks and Medicare Locals. The extra Commonwealth funding will mean our hospitals will be able to take on millions of extra services that would never have been possible before, including, to give you context, 2.9 million extra cases in our emergency departments, 2 million additional in-patient services such as major surgery and 19 million more out-patient consultations. These are some of the millions more services that will be delivered. Australia needs a health system that is built on a firm funding basis. (Time expired)

Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania—Deputy Government Whip in the Senate) (14:59): I thank the minister for his answer and I ask him a supplementary question. Can the minister explain to the Senate some of the patient benefits contained in this historic health agreement?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:59): I thank Senator Carol Brown for her supplementary question. This deal will ensure faster access to emergency departments and elective surgery. The agreement includes examples such as four-hour targets for emergency waiting times with the aim that 90 per cent of patients across all triage categories are seen within four hours. For elective surgery times, the agreement sets 100 per cent elective surgery targets aimed at ensuring all patients waiting for elective surgery are treated within clinically recommended times. The Senate may be aware that, in 2009-10, 16 per cent of more than 606,000 elective surgeries performed in Australia were not carried out within the clinically recommended times. Under the agreements struck by the Gillard government with the states and territories on board, we will work to ensure that— (Time expired)

Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania—Deputy Government Whip in the Senate) (15:00): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing please outline to the Senate why this agreement is historic for health reform?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery) (15:01): Thank you, Senator Carol Brown.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator LUDWIG: Those opposite are interjecting about their own position. Let me say this: this agreement has been struck by the Prime Minister and the states and territories. It is the first time that such an agreement has been reached across state borders and party lines. It is unfortunate that I am unable to report to the Senate that this bipartisanship has extended into the federal area. The opposition said yesterday—they can correct it if I am wrong about the reporting in the Financial Review—that they oppose legislation that would lock in extra funding for hospitals. Shame on them; they would oppose funding that locks in extra funding for hospitals. This means that health spending is on a chopping block, just as it was when Mr Abbott was health minister, and Mr Joe Hockey is looking directly at that chopping block. (Time expired)

Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper