LOCAL hospitals will lose $60 million over the next 10 years due to the Abbott Government’s cuts to health funding, according to the state’s health minister.
The Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, criticised the Federal Government on Friday for cutting its contributions to Victoria’s public hospitals, worth up to $13.6 billion, by removing current funding guarantees in the National Health Reform Agreement.
Her analysis revealed those cuts would cost Swan Hill District Health $50.4 million and Robinvale District Health Services $10 million in funding reductions over the next decade.
“Tony Abbott’s cuts will see sick Victorian patients wait longer for treatment. It’s that simple,” she said.
When approached about the issue, Swan Hill District Health referred The Guardian to a statement made by Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA) acting CEO Tom Symondson on behalf of regional hospitals.
Mr Symondson concurred with the State Government’s analysis, saying the cuts would put further stress on Victoria’s “already financially strained health services”.
“Victorian health services perform extremely well on the limited funding they receive to meet highly challenging emergency and elective surgery targets but these funding cuts will have a devastating impact on their ability to maintain that high level of care,” Mr Symondson said.
“This new funding formula can only be seen as an arbitrary measure for making budget savings and I am sure I join many others in offering the experience and industry knowledge of the VHA to the government in developing a funding model that actually meets the needs of health services and delivers a beneficial outcome for patients.”
Federal Health Minister and Member for Farrer Sussan Ley responded to the criticisms by saying she was committed to working with state and territory governments to deliver a more efficient hospital system.
“These decisions are never easy or popular, but doing nothing is not an option and we are a government taking action.”
For more on this and other stories, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (May 4).
