Queensland wins new health funding rules from Commonwealth at COAG

The Palaszczuk Government has successfully argued for a new process for deciding hospital funding that will cut delays and provide more certainty for our hospitals.

Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services Steven Miles said the Commonwealth also agreed to develop a time bound dispute resolution process.

“Queensland very much welcomes this development. It goes a long way to resolving the current health funding dispute,” Mr Miles said.

“For too long Queensland’s hospitals have been starved of funds owed to them for operations in previous years.

“This result will ensure funds flow more quickly to hospitals and therefore give hospital boards and management the certainty they need to plan for future years.”

457 visas for medical interns:

Other important outcomes for Queensland included an agreement to protect staffing levels in rural and remote areas by ensuring changes to 457 visas do not negatively impact Queensland’s regional intern program.

“The Commonwealth has agreed to work with us to avoid unintended consequences of their visa changes on Queensland’s medical workforce,” Mr Miles said.

Mandatory reporting:

The other states, apart from WA, have agreed to implement an approach broadly based on the current Queensland approach to mandatory reporting.

“This confirms Queensland has the right approach. We want doctors to know they can seek treatment, but also protect patients from significant potential harm," Mr Miles said.

Smoking age limit:

Mr Miles said the states and Commonwealth referred Western Australia’s proposal to raise the smoking age to 21 years old to the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Committee.

“By asking the advisory group to consider the proposal to raise the smoking age we can make sure we are pursuing the measures most likely to reduce smoking deaths," he said.

“I look forward to hearing the outcomes and discussing them further at a future COAG meeting.”

Domestic violence training for general practitioners:

Ministers agreed to develop training materials and resources with Royal Australian College of General Practitioners for GPs with patients experiencing domestic violence.

“The decision today will deliver better training to General Practitioners. We continue to urge the commonwealth to allow longer consultations for victims of family violence when they visit their GP,” Mr Miles said.

ENDS 

For more information on the outcomes of todays COAG meeting please see the official communique at: https://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/Portals/0/CHC%20Communique%20130418.pdf

Media contact: Katharine Wright 0428 957 903/ Amy Hunter 0423 651 484