At Last - Some Recognition of the Problem! We won't disagree with you Mr Rudd.

Hospitals are Sick: Rudd
October 14, 2009 - 3:46PM
SMH

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he agrees with a "universally bleak" report into Australia's public hospital system.

The Australian Medical Association today released its report card, saying many hospitals failed to reach performance benchmarks.

"I basically agree with them," Mr Rudd told reporters in Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide.

"There is a real problem out there.

"And therefore, the Australian Government, rather than simply pushing this problem under the carpet, believe it's time we have a fully fledged national debate about how we fix this system for the long term.

"It is root and branch reform that is necessary."

Mr Rudd was in Murray Bridge for a health forum as part of the Government's consultation over proposed health reforms.

The Prime Minister said his Government would hold state and territories to account over their public hospital systems, and the data used to measure their performance benchmarks.

"We intend to hold the states and territories accountable against that data, that is why we are in the reform business," he said.

"This is tough - and remember we are also dealing with a history of the previous Australian government pulling $1 billion out of the Australian public hospitals system, we are reinvesting back in.

"We will take a very dim view indeed of any attempt by any State Government, whatever their political persuasion, of somehow being cute with critical data on emergency surgery, on elective surgery, or emergency department presentations.

"We want real data, we want to know the absolute facts of what is happening out there.

"We are in the long term reform business but to perform that, you need to have absolute confidence in the data, that is why we agreed on those performance benchmarks.

"We will take a very dim view indeed of any data that is cooked by anybody."

AAP