Mr Murphy asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, upon notice, on 25 June 2003:

(1) Can the Minister confirm that (a) the Blandford Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Review of March 2000 recommended an increase of seven Medicare eligible units in the year commencing July 2000, and (b) the Government approved six additional Medicare eligible units in September 2001.

(2) Will the Minister consider providing an MRI licence for MRI units at all tertiary hospitals, including Concord Repatriation General Hospital; if so, when, if not, why not.

Mr Andrews (Minister for Ageing) —The Minister for Health and Ageing has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(1) (a) The Review of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) recommended an increase of up to seven additional Medicare eligible MRI units in the year following the release of the report of the Review.

(b) I can confirm that six additional Medicare eligible units were approved as a result of a tender process completed in 2001.

(2) Medicare eligibility is not necessary for MRI units to be established at tertiary hospitals, such as Concord Repatriation General Hospital. State and Territory Governments are responsible for ensuring access to MRI for patients admitted to public hospitals and are able to provide MRI units in these hospitals using their own revenue or using grants provided by the Commonwealth for hospital care. Medicare eligibility would not assist in providing services for such patients, as Medicare rebates are not payable to patients admitted to public hospitals.