Health funding needs major boost in budget
Posted: Thursday, 7 June 2012 | By: John Robertson ,Andrew McDonald
The O'Farrell Government needs to dramatically increase health funding in next week's Budget to meet rising demand - after the Bureau of Health Information revealed Emergency Departments are failing to meet waiting time benchmarks.
"NSW Emergency Departments are failing to meet waiting time benchmarks right across the State," Opposition Leader, John Robertson said today.
"Just 59 per cent of patients are being treated and discharged or transferred in the recommended four hour time frame – well short of the 69 per cent target. This is down a whopping 12 per cent on the same time last year.*
"Ambulance off stretcher waiting times also continued to increase, with just 69 per cent of patients being transferred from the ambulance to the Emergency Department in the recommended 30 minute time frame, well under the 90 per cent target.
"Barry O'Farrell promised to improve services for the families of NSW, but our health system is going backwards.
"Things will continue to get worse in our health system unless the O'Farrell Government gives our hospitals a much larger funding boost for more beds, doctors and nurses."
Shadow Health Minister, Dr Andrew McDonald said: "The Treasurer has already flagged the health budget will only receive a 5.8 per cent increase in next week's Budget – this just isn't enough to meet the growing demand in our health system."
"In the final two years of the Labor Government, our health system received a 17.7 per cent funding boost.
"As a practicing paediatrician, I know our hospitals are pushed to the limit already.
"Unless we see more funding directed to the health budget and more nurses and doctors employed in the system, our hospitals will only get worse."
Hospitals failing to meet the 69 per cent benchmark for discharging or transferring patients from Emergency Departments within four hours include:
- Blacktown - 36 per cent;
- Liverpool – 36 per cent;
- Campbelltown – 44 per cent;
- John Hunter – 46 per cent;
- Royal Prince Alfred – 47 per cent
- St George – 54 per cent;
- Concord – 56 per cent; and
- Wyong – 58 per cent.
Tags: Andrew McDonald, Barry O'Farrell, budget, emergency, health, hospitals, John Robertson, waiting times