ID :
160898
Mon, 02/14/2011 - 11:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/160898
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West Australian Premier Colin Barnett Said Hospital plan has big changes
AAP - The states won big changes to the commonwealth's hospitals plan during negotiations in Canberra and a final agreement should be approved by mid-year, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says.
"I might say they are the longest and probably the most difficult negotiations I've been involved in since I've been premier," Mr Barnett said on Monday.
A $20 billion deal, under which funding will be tied to hospital performance, was brokered by Prime Minister Julia Gillard with state and territory leaders on Sunday.
A national pool of combined commonwealth-state money will now be used to fund local hospital networks for each procedure they perform from 2012.
Mr Barnett said the removal of a threatened federal GST grab to fund the plan opened the way for his agreement on the deal.
He said he and other state and premiers recognised there were benefits in pooling commonwealth and state funding of the procedures, services and health care that hospitals provided.
Sunday's negotiations were primarily about how the system should be structured and there was significant difference of opinion between the commonwealth and states on that, Mr Barnett said.
By the end of the day "there were very significant changes to the original proposals put forward by the commonwealth", he said.
The premier said there was still work to be done, with senior state and federal officials now tasked with devising the structure and how the money flowed to hospitals.
"I'm confident they will come up with a workable system."
Mr Barnett said the commonwealth had committed to meeting half the increase in health costs in hospitals over coming years.
"That's sensible, that does give long term stability and sustainability to health funding.
"So as long as the administrative arrangements and the flow of funds is clear and still allows the states to effectively run our hospitals on a day-to-day 24/7 basis, then I think you'll get a final agreement."
Mr Barnett declined to be drawn on federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's opposition to the reforms.
"My responsibility is to get the best result for West Australian hospitals and West Australian patients.
"I think we made good progress yesterday, there's still more work to be done and I'm optimistic that by mid-year we will have a final arrangement."
"I might say they are the longest and probably the most difficult negotiations I've been involved in since I've been premier," Mr Barnett said on Monday.
A $20 billion deal, under which funding will be tied to hospital performance, was brokered by Prime Minister Julia Gillard with state and territory leaders on Sunday.
A national pool of combined commonwealth-state money will now be used to fund local hospital networks for each procedure they perform from 2012.
Mr Barnett said the removal of a threatened federal GST grab to fund the plan opened the way for his agreement on the deal.
He said he and other state and premiers recognised there were benefits in pooling commonwealth and state funding of the procedures, services and health care that hospitals provided.
Sunday's negotiations were primarily about how the system should be structured and there was significant difference of opinion between the commonwealth and states on that, Mr Barnett said.
By the end of the day "there were very significant changes to the original proposals put forward by the commonwealth", he said.
The premier said there was still work to be done, with senior state and federal officials now tasked with devising the structure and how the money flowed to hospitals.
"I'm confident they will come up with a workable system."
Mr Barnett said the commonwealth had committed to meeting half the increase in health costs in hospitals over coming years.
"That's sensible, that does give long term stability and sustainability to health funding.
"So as long as the administrative arrangements and the flow of funds is clear and still allows the states to effectively run our hospitals on a day-to-day 24/7 basis, then I think you'll get a final agreement."
Mr Barnett declined to be drawn on federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's opposition to the reforms.
"My responsibility is to get the best result for West Australian hospitals and West Australian patients.
"I think we made good progress yesterday, there's still more work to be done and I'm optimistic that by mid-year we will have a final arrangement."
