Greens Policies Will Revive Hunter’s Ailing Health System

14 November 2007

Greens candidate for Shortland, Keith Parsons, said today: “Acute shortages of doctors, nurses and health workers generally are endangering the health of local patients and imposing restrictions on the delivery of essential services in the Hunter.

“I have reliable information that an age pensioner transferred to The Calvary Mater hospital after major abdominal surgery at John Hunter Hospital, because no beds were available, was discharged before he had fully recovered.

“He was impressed with the dedication of the medical and nursing staff at Mater, but was concerned that they ‘were run off their feet. ’ On at least one occasion a doctor was not available to help him even though he was in severe pain. He even had to fix a malfunctioning toilet himself!

“Despite glib assurances of local politicians, Hunter hospitals are in a critical condition. Since 2006, emergency admissions have increased by 10.1%, well above the State average. Lake Macquarie cancer mortality rates are well above the NSW average; nothing has been done to alleviate the Lake’s shortage of GPs,” Mr Parsons said.

The Federal Government’s share of public hospital funding has fallen from 45% to 41%, and it diverts $3.5 billion each year from the nation’s public system to subsidise private health insurance. Mr Parsons pointed out that this subsidy is blatantly inequitable because it is derived from taxes that everyone pays; yet it assists only the more affluent people who can afford to access private services, and cuts resources to the public sector - the only system available to those on lower incomes.

“Greens senators will use their strength in the Senate to return the private health subsidy to the public health system. They will support moves to improve the quantity and quality of medical education by removing HECS from health-related university degrees, and they will take steps to establish a scheme for universal dental cover, with matching funding from both state and federal governments.”

“The centrepiece of The Greens’ health policies is a $4 billion plan to build 200 new community health services. These centres will focus on primary health care and promotion to lighten the burdens on our hospitals. They will provide front-line services, including GPs and nurse practitioners, dentists, immunisation, midwifery, physiotherapy, and allied treatments and counselling,” Mr Parsons said.