Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to discuss the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s final report with the local branch of the Australian Medical Association in Ballarat. In attendance were local GPs, surgeons, cancer specialists, obstetricians and emergency department physicians. I want to thank them for their engagement and interest in what has been the most significant set of reform proposals that I have seen in the time that I have been involved in the health sector.

The purpose of the discussion was, firstly, to go through the key recommendations of the commission’s report and, secondly, to gain a local perspective on how they may or may not work on the ground. The report focuses on tackling the major access and equity issues that affect people now; redesigning our health system to meet emerging challenges; and creating an agile, responsive and self-improving health system for future generations. Not all 123 recommendations were discussed by the local AMA branch, but the issues raised included the challenge emergency departments face as they become increasingly busy. Continued concerns about managing workforce shortages were raised. Members looked at how we may tackle the increasing demand for elective surgery and the growing numbers of public dental waiting list patients. We recognised the lack of scope in terms of preventive health strategies.

The discussion was broad and dynamic. The group agreed on many points and disagreed on others. In particular, there were a range of perspectives on the practicalities of separating out emergency and elective surgeries in a regional setting. Whilst emergency physicians felt that this would be a sensible option to ensure beds for emergency patients, others were concerned about surgeons losing the capacity to work across elective and emergency cases and the potential dangers if elective lists were shifted to larger metropolitan centres. I have undertaken to pass these concerns on to the Prime Minister in the Minister for Health and Ageing’s consultation process.

The 123 recommendations contained in the report represent a significant challenge, particularly as we consider the costs of reform and the options that may be available to offset these costs. There are an enormous amount of vested interests and politics in health, and it has been important that the discussions around the proposals have been occurring in community settings with a wide diversity of health professionals. I commend the Prime Minister and the minister for health on the level of consultation they are personally undertaking, with some 58 consultations undertaken so far. I am pleased that my community has been able to contribute in a small way.

The reform of our nation’s health system is important and we are determined to get it right. The conversation in health is happening across the country and it is particularly important that health professionals and consumers contribute. I want to encourage those who have an interest and who have not yet done so to have a good look at the report, to jump on the website www.yourhealth.gov.au and contribute their views to this important health reform.

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