Providers, health & medical groups ‘let down’ by debate

Aged care providers are disappointed Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott didn’t put forward more detailed aged care proposals during the leaders’ health debate on 23 March, AAP news service has reported.

During the showdown, the Prime Minister said one of the keys to unlocking hospital beds was to make sure there were sufficient aged care places.

“What we’ve got a real problem with is to make sure we’ve got enough transitional care beds for that to happen,” Mr Rudd told the National Press Club in Canberra.

Prior to the 2007 election some 2,400 people were occupying hospital beds when they could have been in aged care facilities, he said.

“We’ve brought funding to try and fill that gap. Five hundred of those beds are already done (and) we’ve got another 1,500 to do.”

Catholic Health Australia chief executive, Martin Laverty, says he was disappointed “at the lack of detail” regarding the aged care policies of both parties.

“The Government should immediately release the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission inquiry into aged care and outline the government’s blueprint to provide for access, choice and sustainability in aged care,” he said in a statement.

The Campaign for the Care of Older Australians – comprising 11 providers – argues that aged care is about more than helping 2,000 seniors leave hospital.

“While Mr Rudd said he wanted to take full responsibility for primary and aged care services, his most detailed reference (on Tuesday) concerned only transition care,” the campaign said in a statement.

Aged Care Association of Australia’s chief executive, Rod Young, said health reform could not progress without addressing aged care.

Medical groups opinion

Doctors, health groups, and consumers called on Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott to fill in the detail of their health policies, saying both failed to answer key questions in the health debate, such as how they would tackle the shortage of aged-care accommodation.

Australian Medical Association president, Andrew Pesce, welcomed the announcements by the Prime Minister that block funding would be available to rural and regional hospitals where fee-for-service or case-mix funding was inappropriate, and by the Opposition Leader that he would fund an extra 3,500 public hospital beds.

Dr Pesce said the debate had produced one positive announcement from each side – “the rest, I suppose, was more commentary than leadership”.

Consumers Health Forum executive director, Carol Bennett, said both leaders failed to mention mental health, indigenous health and regional and rural issues.

But at least the Government had a proposal for action while the opposition was only promising to consider a plan.

“Health consumers want to know the failings in our creaking health system are going to be addressed and they want a sustainable system that does not bankrupt their personal budgets or the budget of the nation,” she said.

Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary, Ged Kearney, said Mr Rudd had won the debate because he focused on issues and solutions. She was disappointed with Mr Abbott, who had said little of substance.