Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

We're really keen to work with the state governments and anyone else who's interested to ensure that demand for health services more generally is being met. That's why we've had a lot of focus on urgent care clinics and ensuring that, under Medicare, people are able to afford, basically, to go and see a GP, because that helps public hospitals by keeping people out of hospital.

But the point you raise is: when you are needing hospital care, how do you make sure that you can optimise the arrangements there? Certainly, from our point of view, we have no issue with public health systems engaging with private health systems to deliver the programs and operations that are needed. It really is a matter for those state hospitals, though. We work very closely with the Tasmanian government in these areas and are very open to suggestions from the Tasmanian government. I acknowledge you've got a small health system in Tasmania, and the public and private systems need to work together.