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Public hospital bed ratio ‘slashed by 43% over past 20 years’, report reveals Public hospital bed ratio ‘slashed by 43% over past 20 years’, report reveals
(about 2 hours later)
A new public hospital report card shows the number of beds, measured against the size of the population over the age of 65, has declined by 43% over the past 20 years.A new public hospital report card shows the number of beds, measured against the size of the population over the age of 65, has declined by 43% over the past 20 years.
Doctors have raised fresh concerns about health spending levels and the adequacy of hospital beds as the population ages.Doctors have raised fresh concerns about health spending levels and the adequacy of hospital beds as the population ages.
The Australian Medical Association’s (AMA’s) annual summary of public hospital statistics also shows the national median waiting time for elective surgery has “substantially deteriorated” over the past decade, with no improvement in the past three years.The Australian Medical Association’s (AMA’s) annual summary of public hospital statistics also shows the national median waiting time for elective surgery has “substantially deteriorated” over the past decade, with no improvement in the past three years.
The group has used the release of the report on Friday to call for greater federal funding to help struggling public hospitals meet patient demand and Council of Australian Governments (Coag) performance targets.The group has used the release of the report on Friday to call for greater federal funding to help struggling public hospitals meet patient demand and Council of Australian Governments (Coag) performance targets.
The AMA said its analysis showed the midyear economic and fiscal outlook, released by the Abbott government in December, showed about $400m less in public hospital spending over the next three years compared with amounts projected in the previous midyear update.The AMA said its analysis showed the midyear economic and fiscal outlook, released by the Abbott government in December, showed about $400m less in public hospital spending over the next three years compared with amounts projected in the previous midyear update.
The former Gillard government attracted controversy in late 2012 when it recalculated expected payments to the states and territories based on lower than expected population figures.The former Gillard government attracted controversy in late 2012 when it recalculated expected payments to the states and territories based on lower than expected population figures.
The new, lower payments were included in the November 2012 midyear update. The AMA has used those revised figures as the baseline for its comparisons with expected public hospital spending over the next three years, saying the amounts outlined in the Abbott government’s midyear update are $398m lower over the period 2013-14 to 2015-16.The new, lower payments were included in the November 2012 midyear update. The AMA has used those revised figures as the baseline for its comparisons with expected public hospital spending over the next three years, saying the amounts outlined in the Abbott government’s midyear update are $398m lower over the period 2013-14 to 2015-16.
The president of the AMA, Steve Hambleton, said this was “very disturbing” because the National Health Reform Agreement signed in 2011 provided a commonwealth guarantee that “no state will be worse off in the short- or long-term, because they will continue to receive at least the amount of funding they would have received under the former National Healthcare SPP”.The president of the AMA, Steve Hambleton, said this was “very disturbing” because the National Health Reform Agreement signed in 2011 provided a commonwealth guarantee that “no state will be worse off in the short- or long-term, because they will continue to receive at least the amount of funding they would have received under the former National Healthcare SPP”.
Hambleton called on the Abbott government to restore federal funding to at least the originally committed levels “to help public hospitals around the country to meet their performance targets and provide timely and quality care for the community”.Hambleton called on the Abbott government to restore federal funding to at least the originally committed levels “to help public hospitals around the country to meet their performance targets and provide timely and quality care for the community”.
“Now’s not the time to take money away from public hospitals,” Hambleton said.“Now’s not the time to take money away from public hospitals,” Hambleton said.
According to the midyear update in December, the government will provide an additional $66.3m to states and territories to “increase cash flow certainty” this financial year, prior to full implementation of activity-based hospital funding from July 2014. Activity-based funding links payments to the actual number and nature of patients treated.According to the midyear update in December, the government will provide an additional $66.3m to states and territories to “increase cash flow certainty” this financial year, prior to full implementation of activity-based hospital funding from July 2014. Activity-based funding links payments to the actual number and nature of patients treated.
The health minister, Peter Dutton, will front the media in Brisbane on Friday afternoon to discuss the issue, but the prime minister, Tony Abbott, blamed the former government for cuts. The health minister, Peter Dutton, said public hospital spending continued to rise but the debate was “not all about money”.
In the latest government criticism of unions, Dutton stressed the need for productivity and argued that doctors and nurses were “shackled by unions”.
“If we want to increase the number of elective surgeries that take place in public hospitals around the country then the unions have to get out of the way and allow our doctors and nurses to do the work that they want to do,” he said.
“That is a very important message for the unions across the country because we know that the same doctors who are doing 10 knee operations in a private setting are only doing two or three or four knees in the public setting.”
The prime minister, Tony Abbott, blamed the former government for previous cuts to projected health spending.
“I said at the time I’d like to reverse them but it was dependent upon the budget situation. I do not think it is realistic at this point in time to reverse them,” Abbott said during an interview with Fairfax Radio.“I said at the time I’d like to reverse them but it was dependent upon the budget situation. I do not think it is realistic at this point in time to reverse them,” Abbott said during an interview with Fairfax Radio.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the prime minister must keep his promise not to cut health funding.The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the prime minister must keep his promise not to cut health funding.
The AMA’s public hospital report card says it can be useful to measure hospital beds against the size of the population aged over 65 years, because older people have more hospital episodes than young people.The AMA’s public hospital report card says it can be useful to measure hospital beds against the size of the population aged over 65 years, because older people have more hospital episodes than young people.
On this measure, the number of public hospital beds “has been slashed by almost 43% over the past 20 years”. There were 18.6 hospital beds for every 1000 people older than 65 years in 2011-12.On this measure, the number of public hospital beds “has been slashed by almost 43% over the past 20 years”. There were 18.6 hospital beds for every 1000 people older than 65 years in 2011-12.
In raw numbers, 648 beds were added in 2011-12, but the number of public hospital beds per 1000 of the total population remained at 2.6, a ratio that has not changed since 2009-10.In raw numbers, 648 beds were added in 2011-12, but the number of public hospital beds per 1000 of the total population remained at 2.6, a ratio that has not changed since 2009-10.
“Public hospital capacity is just keeping pace with population growth and is not increasing to meet the growing demand for services,” the AMA report says.“Public hospital capacity is just keeping pace with population growth and is not increasing to meet the growing demand for services,” the AMA report says.
It says only 68% of emergency department patients classified as urgent in 2012-13 were seen within the recommended 30 minutes – failing to meet the 80% target for 2012-13 that was set out in the National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform in 2009. There was, however, a small improvement in performance over the past few years.It says only 68% of emergency department patients classified as urgent in 2012-13 were seen within the recommended 30 minutes – failing to meet the 80% target for 2012-13 that was set out in the National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform in 2009. There was, however, a small improvement in performance over the past few years.
The AMA says that in 2012-13, about two thirds of all emergency department visits were completed in four hours or less, reflecting a significant gap to be bridged to meet the 90% target to be achieved by the end of 2015.The AMA says that in 2012-13, about two thirds of all emergency department visits were completed in four hours or less, reflecting a significant gap to be bridged to meet the 90% target to be achieved by the end of 2015.
The national median waiting time for elective surgery remained unchanged at 36 days in 2012-13, compared with 28 days a decade earlier. After a period of growth in the waiting time, the national figure has stabilised in the past three years.The national median waiting time for elective surgery remained unchanged at 36 days in 2012-13, compared with 28 days a decade earlier. After a period of growth in the waiting time, the national figure has stabilised in the past three years.
Hambleton said he was concerned the ageing population would increase pressure on hospitals, and the long-term decline in bed numbers as a ratio of over-65s was concerning.Hambleton said he was concerned the ageing population would increase pressure on hospitals, and the long-term decline in bed numbers as a ratio of over-65s was concerning.
“Unless we’ve got the capacity we’re going to run into trouble,” Hambleton said.“Unless we’ve got the capacity we’re going to run into trouble,” Hambleton said.
Shorten said it was “really disturbing to see reports today that since the Abbott government got elected hospital waiting lists are blowing out”.
“The doctors’ association has had to blow the whistle and say that hospital waiting lists are getting worse under the Abbott government,” Shorten said.
But Dutton said Shorten had “kicked an own goal” because the AMA hospital statistics ended in 2012-13 when Labor was still in power.
Abbott acknowledged the health system was under strain, saying that “there wouldn’t be a public hospital in the country that isn’t under budget pressure”.Abbott acknowledged the health system was under strain, saying that “there wouldn’t be a public hospital in the country that isn’t under budget pressure”.
In pushing for national health reform, the former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, declared that the buck would stop with him. But Abbott said public hospitals were, in the first instance, the responsibility of local managers; in the second instance, the responsibility of the state government; and “sometimes it’s the federal government”.In pushing for national health reform, the former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, declared that the buck would stop with him. But Abbott said public hospitals were, in the first instance, the responsibility of local managers; in the second instance, the responsibility of the state government; and “sometimes it’s the federal government”.
“I suppose it depends on the particular issue where the particular buck stops,” Abbott said.“I suppose it depends on the particular issue where the particular buck stops,” Abbott said.