The Turnbull Government is delivering record hospital funding to the states and territories in each and every year which is providing more doctors, more nurses and importantly more services for patients.
We reject claims made in the media today about historical funding levels. The figures quoted do not relate to current Federal Government funding but relate to uninflated health funding starting under Labor in 2011.
By contrast, from 2013-14 actual Commonwealth hospital funding has grown by 34.6 per cent, compared to the States contribution of 10.7 per cent.
Our new five year funding agreement will deliver $128 billion in Commonwealth hospital funding, including $30 billion in additional funding – delivering millions of new and extra hospital services to patients right around Australia.
This is an increase in new funding of over 30 per cent out to 2024-25.
The formula is based on activity and takes into consideration population growth, so the more patients treated, the more funding the Commonwealth provides.
In a damming indictment of Labor states, an Australian Medical Association report today confirms their failure to properly care for patients in their own hospitals.
While New South Wales hospitals have improved their wait times and care of patients, Victorian Queensland and South Australian hospitals have gone backwards on indicators for emergency treatment and emergency care.
These shocking findings highlight South Australia, Queensland and Victoria’s failure to increase their own hospital funding contributions.
In their last budget, the Palaszczuk Government cut funding to Queensland hospitals by $63.8 million.
And between 2013-14 and 2016-17 the Commonwealth increased funding to Victorian hospitals by 36.4 per cent while Daniel Andrews’s only increased his funding by 13.9 per cent.
Over the same period the Coalition Government increased funding to South Australian hospitals by 25.8 per cent while the Weatherill Labor Government only increased their funding by 6.2 per cent.
We have already agreed a number of reforms with all the states and territories to try and improve patient care, while taking pressure off hospitals. Many of these reforms are based on the advice of the medical profession.
Labor doesn’t have a hospital policy but their last failure should never be forgotten.
Under Labor’s last hospital agreement they promised $57 billion in funding but only ever budgeted for $2 billion. This is a $55 billion shortfall and represents a clear and unmitigated failure.
Bill Shorten’s Labor will say and do anything. In reality their promises mean nothing. Labor cannot be trusted on health.
(ENDS)