Health funding cuts a breach of faith

Media release from the AMA (WA)

Cutting WA's Health budget will put even more pressure on the State's struggling public hospitals and is a breach of faith by the new Liberal National Government, the AMA (WA) said today.

"Over four years a three per cent cut could amount to about $600 million," said association President Prof Gary Geelhoed. "That's equivalent to closing two or three community hospitals and will have a major impact on the health system.

"The Government is not going to be able to provide more hospital beds and more nurses by cost cutting.

"These were core election promises and the community can rightfully feel betrayed if they're not delivered."

Prof Geelhoed said the Health budget should have been exempt from the Government's across-the-board 3 per cent efficiency dividend. Taking away 3 per cent - rather than reinvesting any further efficiencies back into health - was bad for West Australians and bad politics.

"The public health system has struggled under relentless pressure over the last eight years and has almost choked itself to death by implementing huge gains in productivity and efficiency," he said.

"This has been underpinned by a strong and committed workforce which has toiled day after day to cope with our over burdened hospitals.

"To try and squeeze an even bigger contribution will destroy whatever morale remains and will inevitably impact on staff retention and the quality of patient care."

Prof Geelhoed said the Government should seriously reconsider its decision.

"The community will be outraged if yet another Government fails to live up to its pre-election promises to fix our struggling public health system," he said.

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