Public health body supports Labor’s broadband proposal

The Australian Healthcare Association (AHA) has welcomed the commitment by the Federal Opposition to fund a national high speed broadband network.

AHA is the peak body for public hospitals, aged care and community health care facilities.

“Telecommunications are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of health care, particularly in rural and remote areas. Increasing access to broadband services across the country is vital to ensure that all Australians can receive the benefits of new developments in ehealth,” Ms Prue Power, AHA executive director said.

“As medicine becomes more sophisticated and the volume of information available to health care providers increases, information technology is becoming more central to the health system.

“ehealth is revolutionising the way in which health care is delivered. Its applications cover all areas of the health system – from sending detailed images of patient’s scans to specialists who are not able to access them physically, to surgeons operating remotely on patients hundreds of kilometres away.

“ehealth strategies are already helping to address Australia’s serious and ongoing health workforce shortage, particularly in the bush. In the future as our health workforce comes under increased pressure, these strategies will become even more important.

“The successful implementation of ehealth solutions requires high quality and consistent broadband services. Without this, Australia’s health system will be left behind as new applications of this technology are developed.

“To maximise its potential, a broadband network needs to be funded and implemented nationally, in accordance with appropriate standards.

“This essential piece of infrastructure is too important for Australia’s future to leave to the private sector. Doing so is likely to increase the digital divide, through focusing on more profitable areas of investment and leaving behind people already disadvantaged in their access to IT services.

“AHA welcomes the commitment from the Federal Opposition and calls on all parties to provide bipartisan support for this important initiative,” Ms Power said.