AMA on Public Hospital Funding – blame game must end
Last week AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, at the launch of the AMA’s 2018 Public Hospital Report Card, said the current COAG agreement is a funding formula for failure. The Report Card providing compelling evidence that all Australian governments need to meet and re-negotiate the 2020-2025 hospital funding agreement. The latest Commonwealth funding offer would lead to a continuation of the prevailing underperformance of hospitals due to significant underfunding and insufficient capacity.
“The current funding formula will doom our public hospitals to fail, and patients will suffer as a result. It is not just a Commonwealth responsibility. All governments need to urgently lift their game,” Dr Gannon said.
Dr Gannon said there needs to be greater recognition by governments of the vital role of public hospitals in our health system, and fund them accordingly for the long term.
Dr Gannon noted that public hospitals are the only option for many Australians who live in rural and remote areas.
“If our public hospitals cannot increase their capacity to meet patient and community demand – and perform their vital training, research, and innovation functions – there is greater pressure placed on general practice and the private health sector,” Dr Gannon said.
