Under-funding of hospital Medicare criticised

Western Australia may be forced to reduce access to public hospitals unless the Federal Government acts quickly to boost funds for public hospital services.

Health Minister Keith Wilson said today the Commonwealth was continuing its serious under-funding of hospital Medicare.

As a result, the State's public hospital system was increasingly unable to meet the demands of WA's growing and ageing population.

"I am most concerned about the injustice of pensioners and other low-income earners being denied timely access to needed hospital care," Mr Wilson said.

"There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government is abrogating its responsibility to meet its fair share of the costs of hospital Medicare and is relying more and more on the States to make up the shortfall.

"This trend simply cannot continue. Unless the Commonwealth provides more money, WA will be forced to reassess patient entitlements and the services provided in our public hospitals, and take account of the capacity of some people to use the alternative services available in the community and the private hospital sector.

"We may have to do this to ensure priority access to public hospitals for those with the greatest clinical need, who are dependent on the public system."

Mr Wilson said this option would be investigated by an expert group to be set up to advise on how WA's public hospital system could continue providing high-quality services where they were most needed, and in a way that ensured all Western Australians access to affordable health care.

The group's members would include specialists, senior medical administrators, and representatives of pensioners' organisations, the AMA and private hospitals.

"One of the expert group's main tasks will be to identify inpatient and outpatient treatments for which there are unreasonable and clinically unsatisfactory waiting times and to make specific recommendations to reduce them," Mr Wilson said.

"The group will also identify and quantify the particular categories of patients, such as pensioners who are being unduly affected by unreasonable delays for needed hospital treatments, and establish the main reasons for the delays.

"It will investigate and make recommendations on treatments currently provided in public hospitals which could be given lower priority, or provided elsewhere.

"As well, it will examine factors which may be preventing private hospitals and doctors from supplying more of the services currently provided by public hospitals."

Mr Wilson said he would ask the group to provide early advice on each issue being examined to enable the State Government to take appropriate action and to continue pressing the Commonwealth to adequately address the shortcomings of hospital Medicare.

Public hospital funding would be a major item for discussion at the special Premiers' Conference on May 11.