Australian Medical Association

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the public hospitals policy unveiled by the Prime Minister is major reform that must be taken seriously and given due consideration by the States and the health sector because we need a system that will give better access to quality health services for the Australian population into the future.

Dr Pesce said the policy is a credible response to the problems and deficiencies in the public hospital system and is evidence that there has been considerable consultation with patients and with doctors.

“The AMA supports the Prime Minister’s preparedness to take responsibility for health through a more dominant role for the Commonwealth in funding our public hospitals,” Dr Pesce said.

“Upon first examination, the new National Health and Hospitals Network is responding to the needs of patients.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) had failed to meet widespread expectations that it would reveal some signs of national consensus on meaningful health reform.

Dr Pesce said the health system is under extreme pressure and further delays in reform would exacerbate existing problems, especially in public hospitals.

“The COAG Communiqué states that COAG agreed that long-term health reform was required to deliver better services for patients and the Commonwealth would put specific proposals to the States in the first half of 2010,” Dr Pesce said.

“People are losing confidence because the timeframes keep changing and getting put back

Video of AMA President on SkyNews via bigpondnews.com