AMA (WA) backs Premier's stand against hospitals takeover

Media release from the AMA (WA)

 Premier Colin Barnett

AMA (WA) says it strongly rejects a Federal Government takeover of WA's public hospitals and applauds the stand being taken by Premier Colin Barnett.

"Canberra bureaucrats running our hospitals from almost 4000kms away would be a disaster," said association Vice President Dr David Mountain.

"Local decisions can only be made by those who have local knowledge and local expertise."

Dr Mountain said WA's hospitals desperately needed about 400 extra hospital beds to cope with demand and to achieve an acceptable standard of patient care.

"The issue is adequate resources, not remote bureaucratic management," he said. "The Federal Government needs to match the same level of recurrent funding provided by the State Government, even though it rejected this in the recent Health Care Agreement.

"Similarly, Federal capital funding earmarked to assist rebuild our hospitals – and provide more beds – was redirected to the $900 stimulus package."

Dr Mountain said that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised to end the blame game when he came into office.

"However, the Federal Government's response to the release of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report was that patients are still getting a raw deal – and it's all John Howard's fault," he said.

"What Kevin Rudd should be doing is making sure the State's have the level of funding they need to turn the situation around – and leave them to manage their own hospitals.

"In other words, end the blame game and provide the States with the resources and work with them to restore our hospital system to something the nation can be proud of." 

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