NSW: State governments want forum on ailing hospital system

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NSW: State governments want forum on ailing hospital system

SYDNEY, Aug 17 AAP - The federal government should make the reform of an "ailing" publichospital system a priority, NSW Premier Bob Carr said today.

The state governments have asked Prime Minister John Howard to put public hospitalfunding on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on August29.

The state's deadline for accepting a federal government five year public hospital fundingplan - totalling $42 billion - falls two days after the COAG meeting.

Mr Carr told Channel Nine's Sunday program that health reform was the biggest issuefor Australian families, and should be discussed at COAG.

"The federal health minister won't meet the state health ministers about this, if thereis a forum to talk about the reform of health in Australia, it is the Council of AustralianGovernments," Mr Carr said.

"This is the biggest issue having an impact on state and commonwealth budgets, it isthe biggest issue for Australian families needing to know that there is health care available... and it is only going to be solved by a partnership (between state and federal governments)... and that is what we are offering the prime minister."

He said the state governments would be asking for an extension of time to look at thefederal government's offer and to discuss public hospital reform issues.

"The (public hospital) system is ailing," Mr Carr said.

"We've got a decline (of general practitioners offering) bulk-billing down to the levelof 68 per cent.

"The Commonwealth allows bulk-billing to shrink and that simply means that more peopleare flowing into the emergency departments in hospitals.

He said the state government was asking for assistance to fund Medicare GP clinicsin or next to emergency departments.

"That would cost the commonwealth about $500 million over five years, but it wouldsave $1.5 billion," he said.

AAP rh/cjh/jlw

KEYWORD: HEALTH CARR