Health policy launch, Wollongong Hospital

September 29, 2004

Candidate for Cunningham, Chris Williams, and Socialist Alliance Health spokesperson, Dr Margaret Perrott, will launch the Alliance’s Health Policy outside Wollongong Hospital, at 3pm today, Wednesday, 29 Sept.

"The Australian health system is sick and getting sicker " Dr Perrott said "Nobody is talking about how it can really be fixed. All the promises of money from both major parties are only tinkering around the edges of the problem. Neither of the major parties has any long term solution."

"Both sides are ideologically intent on the continuing privatisation of the health system. Both cynically claim to support Medicare, while continuing to maintain the tax rebate for private health insurance."

"I am sick and tired of a little bit here and a little bit there – an extra $5 for pensioner and child patients, Medicare coverage for 5 visits per year to allied health professionals and practice incentive programs for doctors to basically do our job right will not fix the health system" Dr Perrott said.

"The Socialist Alliance believes that all Australians should have access to free services from a GP, hospital, dentist or other health professional. In the long term we would do away with the fee for service system and set up a National Health System, in which all health workers receive a wage" she said.

"In the short term we would double the number of hospital beds, double the Medicare rebate, remove the restrictions on provider numbers for young doctors and overseas trained doctors, provide accelerated training and accreditation for nurse practitioners, especially in Midwifery and rural and regional areas, and extend Medicare to cover all dental and allied health services."

"The medium term solution is to abolish all university fees and increase the number of training places for doctors, nurses and other health professionals. The establishment of a government run Medical Indemnity program would alleviate the costs of Insurance for doctors and significantly reduce fees, especially for specialist services" Dr Perrott said.

When asked "How will you pay for all this?" Williams replied, "The government has announced that it will spend $450 million on cruise missiles, that we don’t need, and another $50,000 for armored tanks, that we don’t need. That’s half a billion dollars to start with, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!"

"While Australians have a government that spends more on war than on health or education, that encourages profit making in the health industry and subsidizes the rich through tax rebates and safety nets, we will continue to have a two tiered health system."

"We need to put the needs of the people – all the people – before the profits of the few to create a universal, free, comprehensive health system."

For more information phone Chris Williams on 0425 329 963.

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