Doctors expect a hospital care package in the Budget
5 May 2008

This week’s State Budget must be a strong statement on the future of Victoria’s public hospital system, according to AMA Victoria.
 
AMA Victoria President, Dr Doug Travis, says the State Budget will need to address a range of problems with our health system. The challenges are immense, and include:
 
  • A growing population and a shrinking number of hospital beds. Demand for public hospitals, both inpatient and emergency, has increased dramatically. The recent Ministerial Review of Victorian Public Health Medical Staff noted that, “a significant reduction in bed numbers and extremely high occupancy rates (sometimes in excess of 100%) … this causes considerable stress.” There are critical shortages in intensive care and high dependency units in particular.
  • Not enough doctors. Between 1996 and 2006, the Victorian population grew by 518,000 people, while the number of GPs increased by one. There are shortages in many other specialties right across the state.
  • Waiting lists growing. Despite the Government refusing to release the latest hospital performance figures (which were due in March), the last set of figures (for the first half of 2007) show that waiting lists are increasing.
  • Performance criteria that say it’s alright for one in five Victorians to receive clinically inappropriate care. The Government’s own performance measures show that the Government is happy for more than 250,000 Victorians each year to fail to receive clinically appropriate care.
  • Crumbling infrastructure. Decades of neglect have seen several major hospitals in urgent need of a revamp. Most importantly, we need a fund for the replacement of vital medical equipment and a huge increase in investment in HealthSmart, the hospital IT infrastructure system.
  • Rural crises. Many regional areas are critically short of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.
  • Unhappy doctors leaving the public hospital system. The Ministerial Review identified the threat of doctors withdrawing from the public sector in favour of the private sector as the “Reasons that attracted clinicians to public hospitals in the past are rapidly disappearing.”
Dr Travis described public hospitals on the precipice. “The Government must get serious about dealing with the cultural, physical and financial state of our public hospitals,” he said.
 
AMA Victoria has put a detailed Budget submission to the Treasurer, the Hon John Lenders (available at www.amavic.com.au). The Minister for Health, the Hon Daniel Andrews, has also received a comprehensive report, Ministerial Review of Victorian Public Health Medical Staff, which provides a blueprint to move forward with the necessary reforms.
 
AMA Victoria’s expectations for the State Budget include:
 
  • Increase bed numbers. An additional 600 hospital beds (or equivalent) are needed to meet the demands of a growing population.
  • A rural rescue package. AMA Victoria has proposed a four year, $116 million rural rescue package to address shortfalls in regional Victoria. AMA Victoria is asking for a commitment of one quarter of one per cent of the annual DHS Budget.
  • A capital fund for medical infrastructure. AMA Victoria has recommended that half of future surpluses be invested in a fund for medical infrastructure.
Dr Travis explained that the ailing state of our hospitals needs funding, but also needs cultural change. “The Minister received a report in November last year that shows that Victorian public hospitals need cultural change — we need to put the patient first, treat doctors and other staff with respect, engage doctors in the decision making process, and above all, make Victorian public hospitals a place where doctors in training get the best possible teaching environment” said Dr Travis.
 
However, cultural change and reform is only possible when the basics are taken care of. “Doctors want reform in our hospital system, but are too busy at the moment trying to treat too many patients in too few beds,” Dr Travis said.
 
“The Government must get serious about addressing the problems in our public hospitals. The State Budget on 6 May provides a great opportunity that must not be squandered.”