Fed Govt provides $150m package to boost elective surgery in hospitals
The Federal Government has provided all states and territories with extra funding to slash hospital waiting lists, as part of its health reform blueprint.
All state health ministers and treasurers met with the Commonwealth in Brisbane yesterday and agreed to the new hospital deal as well as a major overhaul of payments to the states.
Patients needing elective surgery will be able to shop around for a faster, safer operation under the new deal.
The extra funding is conditional on public hospitals publishing quarterly information on waiting times, ‘adverse events’ and unplanned re-admissions within 28 days of procedures, all of which will be made public.
An extra 25,000 operations across Australia will be performed in 2008 as a result of the funding.
Orthopaedic and eye surgery are two of the main bottlenecks for elective surgery.
