Keneally to press Rudd on health issues

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally is hopeful an agreement can be reached over the
federal government's health reforms ahead of more one-on-one talks with Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd.
Ms Keneally intends to press Mr Rudd over his plans for mental health, e-health and
dental care during a meeting on Tuesday night, a day after the federal government
released a 95-page document of its proposed overhaul.
"They are areas that do need to be progressed as part of the reform," she told
reporters at Liverpool Hospital in western Sydney.
"Tonight I have the opportunity to sit down face-to-face with the prime minister and
I will be raising that with a number of other issues that NSW is putting on the
agenda."
Ms Keneally chaired a teleconference with her state and territory counterparts on
Monday to assess the final offer, which includes changes to funding and the setting
up of local hospital networks across the country.
While she welcomed the extra detail, the leaders were still concerned about the
governance and operation of the proposed hospital networks, the issue of efficiency
pricing and how the changes will impact on their budgets.
A further teleconference of state and territory leaders has been slated for Thursday
(April 16) after officials have time to run the ruler over the numbers in the plan.
Mr Rudd wants to divert a third of the states' GST revenues to the hospital
networks, in return for the federal government covering 60 per cent of the cost of
hospital treatment.
He has promised cuts to elective surgery waiting times and a boost to aged care in
an effort to get roundtable agreement of the plan when it goes to the Council of
Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on Monday (April 19).
But unions on Tuesday urged Ms Keneally not to sign up to the plan because of
concerns about the impact on health workers.
"It would be folly for any premier to agree to a health takeover given the number of
questions," Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said in a statement.
He said health staff needed to know whether workplace rights and conditions would be
protected.
"The switch to hospital networks, especially if the July 2011 timeline is adhered
to, will also involve considerable workplace restructuring," Mr Lennon said.
"Rushing into an agreement could have disastrous consequences for both patients and
already overworked frontline medical staff."
The government's 95-page document projects program funding benefits to the states
and territories totalling $3 billion leading up to 2013-14, and $15.6 billion over
10 years to 2019-20.
Ms Keneally said the detail would allow the states to conduct proper financial
analysis.
"It's the first time the states and territories will have the opportunity to assess
the plan in full, to run the financial numbers, assessing ... what it means for each
individual jurisdiction and its budgets," she said.
"That detailed work is beginning today, particularly with senior officials in
Canberra."
Meanwhile, the federal opposition said Mr Rudd must explain how $18.6 billion of
funding for the government's hospital reform plan will be paid for.
"It has become apparent that there is an $18.6 billion black hole in Kevin Rudd's
health plan," opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey told reporters in Sydney.
"He now needs to explain to the Australian people how he is going to pay for it."



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