Protect private health and improve the public health and hospital system

Sophie 26/06/10 01:59 PM Report Abuse

This Action Contract is just what is needed for Australia.
Integrity of democratic process is the key.
We are all suffering as a result of Labor's ineptitude in this area, at State and National levels.

The ethos of an outfit emanates from the top, so here's to Tony winning and bringing in a team which will form an ethical, consultative, competent government!

For the betterment of ALL Australians.

R. Rahme 26/06/10 03:43 PM Report Abuse

Local boards may help and allow local hospitals to be accountable, but they also need funding. Northern Beaches is in desparate need of a local new hospital as proposed along Wakehurst parkway near Terry Hills. We have been waiting for over 10 years.
A Hospital that can provide specialists for various illnesses especially have flexibility to bring specialists from Sydney hospitals to consult in less common illnesses ie Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, muscular dystrophy, to name a few.

Carline 26/06/10 03:44 PM Report Abuse

I watched your speach today Tony and found it most revealing and interesing. I certainly hope that you Tony, and the Coalition can win government and save Australia from the changes the Gillard Unionist government will make which will lead us into deep socialism, which means loss of Freedom.
Your Action Contract is spot on and I will look forward to the saving of Australia when the Coalition wins the next election.
Good luck to you and to Australia.

Spinoosa 26/06/10 04:47 PM Report Abuse

Just a teensy bit simplistic. I've been on a local health service board and I can tell you that, above all, they are furiously provincial and protective. I have also had to access specialist services from half a country away, and I don't see how independent local boards could deliver integrated city-rural services any better than the current inadequate structures - worse, other things being equal. Labor's restructuring plan has come about after the most thorough review of health services in our history, and hard bargaining with the states. If it had been up to the Libs, there would be no Medicare and we'd be in a similar mess to the USA, where they get less for a far higher cost. Tony would only deliver our health into the hands of profiteers. Don't trust him.

debs 27/06/10 02:51 PM Report Abuse

sophie

"the ethos of an outfit emanates from the top'

thats why the conservatives should take they bat and ball and go home

debs 27/06/10 02:54 PM Report Abuse

spinoosa

correct

with the mad monk in charge the cons are in danger of having as much credibility as Sarah Palin

debs 27/06/10 02:58 PM Report Abuse

bring in a tax on sugar

one of the fundamental causes of health problems in the western world

the amount of sugar most of us consume has increased by 1000% overthe last 150 years

Miroslava Jurcik 27/06/10 03:05 PM Report Abuse

its funny how you take the negative comments out

Jon Gaul 28/06/10 08:06 AM Report Abuse

Tony Abott needs to visit Pambula and commit to a local hospital board for Pambula District Hospital and explain now he will persuade the NSW Libs to agree to that

Richard Clowes 28/06/10 12:46 PM Report Abuse

Health is a State area of government. I suggest that the Feds stay out of the health arena and ensure that the States are funded adequately. The major problem with State Federal relations and accountability is vertical fiscal imbalance and the States having to rely on taxes with a very narrow base.

yvette gilroy 28/06/10 05:37 PM Report Abuse

ALSO please expose Labor's supposed "health reform" for what it is - ie NO REFORM at all - just a shifting of the deck chairs, introduction of even greater confusion and more bureaucracy. It is a squandered opportunity for reform. Rudd had his back so far up against the wall that he acceded to all the demands of the states. At COAG Rudd, signed the Commonwealth up to taking more responsibility for funding while weakening its role in ensuring accountability - disaster.

Claire Hayes 29/06/10 09:26 AM Report Abuse

There is no mention of improvements to aged care - this is an issue which will affect us all and yet neither party seems to have this on their agenda. Mental health also seems to be low on the list of priorities.

Specialist Mental Health Nurse 30/06/10 08:38 PM Report Abuse

As a nurse who has spent the last 17 years working in specialist mental health services, including 15 in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, I am concerned that Mr Abott has made no mention of the nursing profession, which make up around 65% of the Mental Health Clinical professional workforce. Mr Abott needs to talk more with the Australian Nurses Federation, and quickly to ensure he gets our vote. I believe in Victoria, they even have a dedicated Mental Health Nursing Officer who has raised the issues about lack of resourcing, need for more nurses with postgraduate qualifications and greater integration of services to ensure the needs of our community are met early. Unfortunately, Specialist Psychiatric Nurses were not part of the previous Better Access programs, so again, the community were not able to benefit from these qualified health professionals. On the whole, they also continue to be excluded from the Medicare system, as they dont get given provider number (apart from the handful of nurse practitioners who may now be eligible).
Obviously I would welcome additional funding for mental health services, which is long overdue, but any policy needs to include, improve and place value on what nurses who are specialists in mental health have to offer our community. I know many experienced psych nurses who left the sector as they can no longer deal with the chronic under-resourcing. further discussions about the health professional workforce that will be required to staff an additional 800 beds is critical. Fortunately, there is some good work that has already been done, including the Mental Health Nursing Education Taskforce (MHNET) Final Report that provides sound recommendations (not yet implemented by Labor government) to improve the Mental Health content of Nursing Undergraduate Curriculum. I hope Mr Abott and his team talk with the Australian Nursing Federation soon, as they have significant experience and very clear recommendations for governments in the area of mental health.

Scott 03/07/10 09:57 AM Report Abuse

For an case study of how the future health system will be run under the Labor proposal one only needs to how the BER program has been operated. No performance metrices, no accountability and no one ultimately in charge of ensuring value for money.

Sadly, this is how the program has ACTUALLY been run. And moreover, this was the finding of the Auditor-General.

There is no question that the whole health system is in dire need of reform, but a politically motivated band-aid job is now way to undertake such a critical task.

Carol Ryan 05/07/10 07:26 PM Report Abuse

Yes the hospitals are full of all the migrants coming into the country, free health, free housing, free everything. Get rid of the Area Health Service Directors who get paid way to much, and they have no idea what they're doing. Our hospitals should be like they used to be, run by the professionals that know. Matrons looked after the nurses, doctors looked after the surgery, administrators looked after the running of the hospital

jim 06/07/10 07:02 AM Report Abuse

Local Hospital Boards are a great idea BUT it MUST result in a dramatic trimming of bureaucracy.
Once on visiting hospital, you would see a flurry of nurses; now you see a flurry of pen-pushers clutching clipboards or folders to their chests.
We need:
A trim Federal Health Unit to ensure uniform standards and universal availability of health, nation wide.
A very trim state administration unit, responsible for coordination of resources.
A return to the regional Base Hospital system supporting local community hospitals, all locally managed by boards.
Hospital Boards to be comprised of Medical staff, local business & community leaders

Alan 08/07/10 08:47 PM Report Abuse

Can you abolish the states after you do this? That's the root cause of all these problems.

Geoff 13/07/10 12:12 PM Report Abuse

yet another filter failure.... pls fix it my blood pressure is going up

Geoff 13/07/10 12:15 PM Report Abuse

good grief

Geoff 13/07/10 12:16 PM Report Abuse

another exercise in futility
I have no profanities

James 13/07/10 11:25 PM Report Abuse

Hmm, I see nothing in the contract action plan about mental health funding. Not a blip! Must be that late liner late about a few weeks ago abboout truth... hmm poor Mr Robb

The MadMonk is truly mad

ConcernedDoc 15/07/10 12:02 PM Report Abuse

What a joke Tony Abbott is, the only way that all Australians will get access to a fair and equitable health care system is to fund it properly, we are going the way of the US and look how well that's gone. For all those people who say it's socialist medicine, you need to grow up and act your age, most of the first world countries like UK, France, Denmark, Germany etc etc etc have fully government funded health care systems and they are amongst the most liberal countries in the world. The only thing that the liberals will do is decrease taxes which are needed for the health care budget and tell everyone to get private health insurance, and when you spend the money that you got in tax cuts and more on health insurance then you end up WORSE off. Come on people how about you do some research on what works in the rest of the world and then come on and comment.

Geoff 16/07/10 12:03 AM Report Abuse

When do you think Labor are going to stop lying about Mr Abbott's part in the "cuts" in funding for the health system.
You need to keep rebutting it until it becomes an ineffective joke.
There are still many people hearing it for the first time who do not know the truth.

ConcernedDoc 16/07/10 02:29 PM Report Abuse

It's still a disgrace that in a country as lucky as we are that people have to decide if they can afford to go to the dentist or doctor not if they need to, and if you can't afford private health care then what?? Since when did the lucky country become the lucky country for some?? Health care is not a business, it's a basic service that we all pay our taxes for and have every right to expect access to, let's stop all the politicking and actually do what's right for a change.

studying 17/07/10 05:25 PM Report Abuse

what about private healh insurance? what will the coalition do to make this affordable for all australians, especially those on low incomes. i don't ever want to give up my private health insurance and i struggle each quarter to pay it on a pension. this is unfair and i hope the coaltion makes some decision to make it tax deductible or a rebate.

Gregory Hamer 20/07/10 11:21 PM Report Abuse

Hospitals use to be run by their own boards at the local level. They found it increasing difficult to manage only because their funding kept being cut. Also the way funding was allocated was a problem. The biggest change was when hospitals were not allowed to keep any surplus they had been able to achieve through good management at the end of each financial year. There budgets were cut by the amount of of surplus they had managed to save. This then cause the problem of not having any savings to put toward upgrading old equipment etc.

Igama mawa 21/07/10 08:48 PM Report Abuse

Mental health is one of crucial issue facing us as young people of this lovely country. I have personally seen people in my community who suffers from mental health problem and yet they don't have the needed resources to help them. Under the Rudd-Gillard government since 2007, we have seen cuts in mental health finding. In fact out of the health funding by the government, 6% of it only goes to Mental health. What a shame to a government that does not take this problem seriously. Time is now to take real action and start delivering mental health resources to families affeted by this problem.

Jazzminka 24/07/10 04:32 PM Report Abuse

Nurses- Getting nurses back into the workforce. Supporting Nurse Practitioners to do their internships. Its so hard for them to get the support in xray, laboratory and support of the drs in the places where they work and all have had to run round in circles to get their internships completed. The current health minister doesn't give a hoot about them and suggests taking out a loan to allow the NP's to do their internships. that's fine in fact but what if you are paying off a mortgage and a car and all the other rising costs of living surely taking out a loan is not going to be good for your finances. I hope the liberals also look into supporting nurses better and maybe then they will stay and come back to the workforce.

ED Reg Nurse. Tasmania 25/07/10 10:59 PM Report Abuse

hmm, what can I say? As a nurse myself, I find a sheer lack of the mentioning of nurses and our drastic shortages in Victoria, Tasmania, and rural and remote aboriginal communities. We need to encourage more new nurses to enter the workforce and bring back and re register retired nurses. Studying at university is a costly experience for potential nurses, near impossible for remote aboriginal students, and seen as "Not worth the price tag, for a blue collar job". I feel there have been amazing improvements in the last two years thanks to the labor government, it has really helped relieve the pressure at work, and the liberals may have their heads in the clouds once again; pushing us to the sidelines yet again. I want the coalition to get their act together and give us some reasonable options for the next election. Compete for my vote please. I fear its too late. For the health of Australia all we can do now is cross our fingers and pray to god. Disappointing Tony.

Kingsley Meyer 30/07/10 03:32 PM Report Abuse

an eminent neurosurgeon, a V.M.O. at the Gold Coast Hospital advised me that he was resigning his prestigious position because of;-
He is sick of the overall conditions. He hates going to work at that hospital. He can achieve no more from his efforts or involvement at that hospital. I ASKED WHY?.
He advised the Bureaurocrats in charge there would not survive in private practice and so seek out employment with the Gov.where they can't be sacked for their incompetence. Their overall building of bureaurocratic pyramids around them, shield or hide their inabilities etc. How specifically will the liberal party correct and stop the rot of this issue? How will the exhisting State Bureaurocracys be dissmantled.?

Shane 05/08/10 01:19 PM Report Abuse

As usual, Tony has no proper policies. I am amazed people can vote for a government with no policies. Any policies he does mention are not detailed enough. He mentions increasing bed numbers?? where are all the nursing staff going to come from?? will you bring in extra nurses from overseas??? isn't this in contradiction to your immigration policy?? difficult to increase beds without increasing nursing numbers, and allied health, without incentives and increases wages this will not happen. Secondly extra funding for GPs is playing into the hands of GPs. The liberals mention extra funding for nurse practitioner scholarships but what good is this when we have a surplus of nurse practitioners, many of whom are unable to source nurse practitioner jobs due to lack of roles or funding. Yet to see any government to actually realise the potential for nurse practitioners to improve access to healthcare for patients, especially as we can work in conjunction to GPs.

B.collins 10/08/10 02:30 PM Report Abuse

Why don't we look at putting private health insurance into superannuation. We put risk insurance and trauma into this structure, why not health insurance.