Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to commend the New South Wales government's recent announcement that the St George Hospital, within my electorate of Barton, will receive a $300 million upgrade package following release of the state budget. St George Hospital is one of the most iconic and valued service providers within my electorate. It has a proud history of service and excellence, inspiring local pride. However, with this pride comes a sense of concern and shock as to the state of this great hospital. In 2012 the New South Wales's asset strategy plan rated public hospitals in the state based on five criteria to review their physical suitability, demonstrating the extent to which the conditions at the hospital were deteriorating. The St George Hospital scored code red, indicating it was poor on four of five indicators. This speaks volumes about the neglect this hospital has faced in terms of its facilities and infrastructure.

Earlier this year I met with Professor Michael Grimm and Associate Professor Theresa Jacques, who led me on an inspection of the facility and informed me in detail of the urgent need for a rebuild in several areas of service. The run-on effects of insufficient funding in cramped, outdated facilities are devastating, and many have described the hospital as being in a crisis state. The hospital has been plagued with health and safety issues, operating in portables, unable to provide adequate toilet facilities and being forced to close beds year after year. This all contributes to the knowledge that the St George Hospital is in urgent need of rebuilding. In stunning contrast with the approach of the former state government over more than a decade, in three years the coalition New South Wales government has shown remarkable leadership and drive on this issue, and this attitude goes hand in hand with the approach we are taking as the federal coalition government.

The government is firmly committed to a consistent increase in public hospital funding over the forward estimates. Funding will rise steadily over the forward estimates, with an additional nine per cent each year for three years and six per cent in the fourth year. This is a responsible and sustainable increase in the investment that the Commonwealth is making in health and hospitals. Beyond funding increases, the government has also promoted accountability within the public hospital system and the health system in general through initiatives like the National Health Performance Authority and the MyHospitals website, which provides potential patients with information on performance standards and comparisons between hospitals. Furthermore, the savings that the government has made in this year's federal budget through its sustainable approach to funding will be invested into the Medical Research Future Fund to fight and cure the kinds of debilitating conditions that keep people in the hospital system for a long time and to ease the burden on the health system as a whole. With a balance between responsibility, accountability and investment for the future, the government has demonstrated Australia's hospital system is in safe hands and has a secure future.

Debate adjourned.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 10 : 41 .