Labor's Medicare bonus to help Western Australia

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, THE HON GEOFF GALLOP AND JENNY MACKLIN, FEDERAL SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH
23/10/01
Western Australian Premier Geoff Gallop and Federal Shadow Minister for Health, Jenny Macklin, today announced a Beazley Government would inject an additional $54 million into Western Australia's public hospitals over four years, as its share of Labor's Medicare Bonus.
"Labor is committed to rebuilding our public hospitals, ending the long delays in emergency departments and cutting elective surgery waiting lists," Ms Macklin said.
"Labor's Medicare Bonus also increases funding for mental health, palliative care, maternal health and additional convalescent care for older people who are forced to stay in hospital because of a shortage of nursing home beds or lack of in-home support."
"Western Australians will see real improvements in their health services from the Medicare Bonus. It targets the areas of greatest need and will reduce the time patients are waiting for care," Dr Gallop said.
The Western Australian Medicare Bonus package includes:
$10 million boost for elective surgery.
This will ensure 4,000 extra "long wait" elective surgery patients are treated over three years. Labor will reduce the number of people facing excessive delays for treatment by scheduling extra operating sessions when theatres would otherwise be closed.
$9 million for convalescent care.
Under Labor's plan, the Commonwealth will pay hospitals the same subsidy which would have been paid if there was a nursing home bed available. This means Western Australian hospitals would be funded for up to 30,000 bed days a year to look after older patients who have been treated in a major acute hospital and are waiting for a nursing home bed.
$3 million for Bentley Hospital.
An up front payment of $3 million will be provided for an additional 30 bed convalescent care unit at Bentley hospital. This will take pressure off acute hospital beds and provide a more appropriate environment for older people.
$7.5 million for an Emergency Department at Rockingham/ Kwinana Hospital.
The new emergency department will operate on a 24-hour basis with clinical links to Fremantle Hospital. It will form the first stage of a redevelopment of the Rockingham/ Kwinana health service as it meets the demands of the
17 per cent population growth expected over the next five years in the southern corridor.
$1.5 million for the emergency department at Swan Districts Hospital.
Another high growth area will benefit from a $1.5 million upgrade to the Swan Districts Hospital emergency department. The upgrade will include a new CT scanner and an observation ward to reduce delays in patient admission.
$6 million to upgrade and expand cancer treatment and equipment capacity in Western Australia.
This includes additional training to overcome the shortages of radiotherapy staff.
$6 million to purchase medical equipment for rural hospitals.
These funds are targeted at making sure rural public hospitals have the equipment necessary to provide the highest quality care.
$5 million to improve mental health services.
Labor's plan will enable additional mental health staff to be employed in hospital emergency departments and support projects targeted at young people.
$3 million for improved maternity care.
The new funding will be provided to establish services to assist new mothers having difficulty with their babies. This will include a mix of residential and in-home services for mothers and their babies.
$3 million for palliative care.
People who want to return home from hospital but need support will benefit from new funding to increase palliative care services.
Ms Macklin said that Western Australian nursing homes would also share in $180 million in additional care funding under Labor's national Aged Care Plan.
"Labor will improve the quality of care provided to aged residents in Western Australian nursing homes and hostels and increase wages to nurses and carers to make sure we have the best qualified staff," Ms Macklin said.
"Western Australia is currently 900 aged care beds below the Howard Government's own target. Under Bronwyn Bishop's policies there are 1450 'phantom beds' in Western Australia. These are beds where licences have been announced but which remain unbuilt.
"Labor is determined to fix the phantom beds problem and reduce the waiting time to get a nursing home bed. We are offering $200 million in interest free loans so that aged care beds are built quickly in areas where there are shortages.
"Regional and rural areas, suffering critical shortages in aged care services, will be a priority for this funding.
"Western Australia will also receive $9 million extra for public dental health services as part of Labor's new National Dental Health Scheme. This will permit additional sessions at existing clinics.
"Pensioners and low income Western Australians are having to wait up to two years for dental treatment because the Howard Government abolished the Commonwealth Dental Scheme in 1996.
"The west will also share in the $43 million allocated for additional postgraduate nursing training places and HECS scholarships for nurses working in areas of workforce need."
Dr Gallop welcomed the announcement which, he said, demonstrated how serious Kim Beazley was about rebuilding our public hospitals.
"This is an important boost for the Western Australian health system which has faced a real funding squeeze because of the Howard Government's funding cuts.
"This additional funding is a practical demonstration of the benefits of the Medicare Alliance and a Kim Beazley Government for Western Australia," Dr Gallop said.
For further information contact:
Kieran Murphy 9222 9475