Vic: Health care the biggest issue facing Australia: Bracks

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Vic: Health care the biggest issue facing Australia: Bracks

MELBOURNE, Aug 17 AAP - Health care was the biggest issue facing Australia, accordingto Victorian Premier Steve Bracks.

Mr Bracks today added his voice to a chorus of angry state and territory leaders callingfor an overhaul of the health system.

The state governments have asked Prime Minister John Howard to put public hospitalfunding and reform on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meetingon August 29.

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

Speaking at Melbourne's Alfred hospital today, Mr Bracks said health reform was thebiggest issue for Australian families.

"There could be no bigger issue facing the nation than providing for the health careneeds of Australian families over the next decade," he told reporters.

"I can't understand why the prime minister wouldn't want to deal with the biggest issuefacing the nation and that means taking up ... responsibility to provide aged care placesfor those people who are in acute beds currently, who should be in proper care in ournursing homes, funded by the federal government.

"It means a proper bulk-billing system, and access to GPs which will relieve pressureon the health system."

The Premier today released copies of a letter sent to the prime minister by the leadersof Australia's states and territories calling for improvements to the health system inseven key areas.

One of the main points of the plan was the provision of general practitioners in hospitalemergency departments to deal with patients not needing emergency treatment.

"Our population will increase, our population will get older and people will live longer,the cost of medical equipment is increasing - all those things are compounding to increasethe cost of healthcare in Australia and the cost will increase over the next five yearsby 27 per cent," Mr Bracks said.

"I would have thought that the need to provide support and care to patients over thenext five years is much more important than any political positioning."

NSW Premier Bob Carr, also in Melbourne today, said the state governments would beasking for an extension of time to look at the federal government's offer and to discusspublic hospital reform issues.

"We know that one of the biggest problems in hospitals is the lack of bulk-billingin the community and people presenting at emergency departments for things a doctor shouldbe able to fix up," he told reporters.

"We are offering to work with the Commonwealth to put $567 million over five yearsinto GP clinics in emergency departments and that takes the pressure off emergency care,"

Mr Carr said.

But Federal Treasurer Peter Costello said the Commonwealth was increasing funding for health.

"The federal government is increasing funding for health by $10 billion - a 17 percent increase in real terms," he told reporters in Melbourne today.

"This is a major increase, the five year health agreement is worth $42 billion andwhat we need now is for the states to agree with the Commonwealth and to lift their ownspending and match the Commonwealth's increase."

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KEYWORD: HEALTH BRACKS