Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The minister for health may wish to add to that answer, but the specifics of those matters we'll refer to the New South Wales government. If we can provide a specific response to those matters, then of course we will. But what I will note is that the federal government, through the National Health Reform Agreement, has ensured that funding for New South Wales hospitals has grown from $4.3 billion in 2012-13 to $8 billion in 2019-20. That's an increase of some 86 per cent—an 86 per cent increase in the funding support that is coming from the federal government that is going into New South Wales hospitals.

Under the new National Health Reform Agreement, the Australian government will provide $41.2 billion between 2020-21 and 2024-25 for New South Wales public hospitals. In the most recent financial year, in 2019-20, the Australian government made a $1.1 billion funding contribution to New South Wales for health and hospital costs through the National Partnership on COVID-19 Response. So, in direct response to the COVID threat, right across New South Wales hospitals we have already put in $1.1 billion to support them in that effort. In 2020-21 and 2021-22 we estimate a further $1.4 billion going to support the New South Wales health system and New South Wales hospitals.

In March of last year we established the private hospitals guarantee, and in New South Wales right now private hospitals have already provided more than 300 nurses to support the New South Wales public health response, and they have also made 19 private hospitals available to the New South Wales response. I'd be grateful if the member could convey that to her constituents—the significant support being provided to New South Wales hospitals right across the state and specifically in Western Sydney as well.

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