ID :
15782
Wed, 08/13/2008 - 18:24
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/15782
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Roxon argues case for health reform
States could get more health dollars for getting people to give up smoking and cutting rates of childhood obesity under the Rudd government's comprehensive plan to reform Australian health.
The federal government has given the states and territories $2 billion and a mid-2009 deadline to sort out public hospitals or risk a commonwealth takeover of the facilities.
A key factor will be whether states agree to new obligations in the latest Australian Health Care Agreement, which is in negotiation and due to be signed by the end of the year.
By December, when the deal should be finalised, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government will know whether states are "in the tent or not in the tent for health reform".
"(It will) be the biggest indicator of whether ... our preference for working in the partnership with the states has been successful or not," she said. "Those agreements ... will have accountability measures and they have never been in place previously."
Ms Roxon remains confident the states and territories will come on board. "They are just as enthusiastic as us ... they, of course, want more resources to go with it," she said.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Ms Roxon argued that without reform of the health system there were risks not only to individuals, but to the nation. As the nation struggles with an ageing population and a shortage of workers, chronic disease - which accounts for 90 per cent of deaths in Australia - reduces workforce
participation by 40 per cent. "The new health care agreement is the first step in our long-term program for health reform," Ms Roxon said.
Aside from specific elements within the deal to overhaul the delivery of health, the government will introduce new payments to the states, rewarding those that deliver the best services and outcomes to their citizens.
The first example of the payment was $600 million to help cut elective surgery waiting lists in public hospitals. "There are a range of other areas which could be fertile ground for his sort of
approach," Ms Roxon said. She cited possible national targets to cut smoking rates, a leading cause of death and disability. "(We could reward) states which successfully implement innovative programs to reduce tobacco use," Ms Roxon said. "Other areas where this sort of approach could be applied include obesity, aiming to reduce the proportion of Australian children at unhealthy body weight by a certain per cent within a certain timeframe."
She said that in the sphere of acute care, targets could be set for reducing the proportion of preventable hospital admissions. The new health deal would set down clear lines of accountability and more
transparent performance measures, which could help combat the emergence of superbugs in hospitals.
Each year, about 200,000 people are infected in hospitals and figures suggest about 2,000 people die from blood stream infections. "But these numbers are estimates, and we don't know where the problem is worst, which makes it almost impossible to address, because data simply isn't collected," Ms Roxon said.
The federal government has given the states and territories $2 billion and a mid-2009 deadline to sort out public hospitals or risk a commonwealth takeover of the facilities.
A key factor will be whether states agree to new obligations in the latest Australian Health Care Agreement, which is in negotiation and due to be signed by the end of the year.
By December, when the deal should be finalised, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government will know whether states are "in the tent or not in the tent for health reform".
"(It will) be the biggest indicator of whether ... our preference for working in the partnership with the states has been successful or not," she said. "Those agreements ... will have accountability measures and they have never been in place previously."
Ms Roxon remains confident the states and territories will come on board. "They are just as enthusiastic as us ... they, of course, want more resources to go with it," she said.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Ms Roxon argued that without reform of the health system there were risks not only to individuals, but to the nation. As the nation struggles with an ageing population and a shortage of workers, chronic disease - which accounts for 90 per cent of deaths in Australia - reduces workforce
participation by 40 per cent. "The new health care agreement is the first step in our long-term program for health reform," Ms Roxon said.
Aside from specific elements within the deal to overhaul the delivery of health, the government will introduce new payments to the states, rewarding those that deliver the best services and outcomes to their citizens.
The first example of the payment was $600 million to help cut elective surgery waiting lists in public hospitals. "There are a range of other areas which could be fertile ground for his sort of
approach," Ms Roxon said. She cited possible national targets to cut smoking rates, a leading cause of death and disability. "(We could reward) states which successfully implement innovative programs to reduce tobacco use," Ms Roxon said. "Other areas where this sort of approach could be applied include obesity, aiming to reduce the proportion of Australian children at unhealthy body weight by a certain per cent within a certain timeframe."
She said that in the sphere of acute care, targets could be set for reducing the proportion of preventable hospital admissions. The new health deal would set down clear lines of accountability and more
transparent performance measures, which could help combat the emergence of superbugs in hospitals.
Each year, about 200,000 people are infected in hospitals and figures suggest about 2,000 people die from blood stream infections. "But these numbers are estimates, and we don't know where the problem is worst, which makes it almost impossible to address, because data simply isn't collected," Ms Roxon said.
