FEDERAL FUNDING SHORTFALL HITS QLD HOSPITALS HARD

The Howard Government is short changing Queensland public hospitals from the Gold Coast to Cairns and Mount Isa, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson said if Prime Minister John Howard was finally serious about health he must immediately address his Government’s funding shortfall of public hospitals.

“Funding public health services used to be a 50-50 split between the States and the Commonwealth,” Mr Robertson said.

“Mr Howard has trashed that partnership.

“For every dollar now going into public health services in Queensland, the Beattie Government invests 65 cents while the Howard Government’s contribution is a pathetic 35 cents.

“By the end of the current agreement which expires next June, Canberra would have short changed Queenslanders to the tune of $2.6 billion.”

Mr Robertson said, calculated on a district by district level, Mr Howard had robbed Cairns of $150 million, the Gold Coast $175 million, the Sunshine Coast $152 million, the Darling Downs $139 million, Townsville $194 million, Ipswich and West Moreton $129 million and Central Queensland $97 million.

“Our Brisbane public hospitals are more than $1 billion out of pocket.”

“When it comes to health Queenslanders don’t need the Howard Government handpicking marginal seats to pork barrel.

“They don’t need a Canberra takeover of State-run hospitals like Mersey Hospital in Tasmania.

“Queenslanders just need the Prime Minister to face up to the responsibilities the Commonwealth already has.”

Mr Robertson said another major failing of the Howard Government on health had been aged care.

“Every single day our public hospitals are forced to care for around 468 patients who shouldn’t be there,” he said.

“One in 20 of our inpatients belong in a nursing home, not a hospital ward.

“Our hospitals admit an average 7,718 patients every day but we could admit more Queenslanders in need of hospital treatment if the Commonwealth finally opened up more nursing home places.

“It’s blatant cost shifting from Mr Howard which is clogging up our public hospitals.

“If he wanted to make a difference in health, Mr Howard could do so literally overnight by finally becoming a real funding partner and properly running aged care.”

Funding Shortfall for 2003-2008 Australian Health Care Agreement by District

Districts	2003/2004 $’000	2004/2005 $’000	2005/2006 $’000	2006/2007 $’000	2007/2008 $’000	Total $’000
Cairns & Hinterland	1,049	5,700	30,267	54,950	58,925	150,891
Cape York	61	354	1,761	3,093	4,853	10,123
Central Queensland	755	3,778	19,614	34,298	39,006	97,452
Central West	122	639	3,166	5,511	6,051	15,488
Fraser Coast	426	2,184	11,217	20,109	22,435	56,370
Gold Coast	1,085	5,777	31,861	62,380	74,373	175,475
Mackay	451	2,497	13,466	23,992	27,002	67,407
Mater	1,022	5,388	29,473	59,116	62,266	157,263
Mt Isa	263	1,489	7,775	13,649	15,375	38,551
Northside	1,872	9,740	51,996	95,285	111,653	270,546
Princess Alexandra	1,988	10,625	56,944	104,023	113,557	287,137
Royal Brisbane & Womens' Hospital	2,275	12,232	66,867	120,652	133,548	335,574
Royal Children's	574	3,057	17,776	30,846	34,337	86,591
South West	210	1,079	5,439	9,360	10,487	26,575
Southside	1,424	7,751	41,444	75,262	83,330	209,211
Sunshine Coast & Cooloola	983	5,588	30,572	54,936	59,921	151,999
Toowoomba & Darling Downs	1,076	5,562	28,434	48,650	55,175	138,897
Torres	126	723	3,728	7,090	8,081	19,748
Townsville	1,357	7,173	38,448	69,184	77,926	194,088
West Moreton	962	5,083	26,182	45,774	50,733	128,735
Wide Bay	318	1,670	10,213	17,182	19,722	49,105
Grand Total	18,398	98,090	526,642	955,341	1,068,755	2,667,226

7 August, 2007

MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185