Patients Lives At Risk As Health Minister Ignores Doctors and Health Professionals

“The time has come for the State and Federal Government to stop squabbling over health funding and start looking after the health needs of patients,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

“Over 250 doctors and health professionals from 20 or more different health care organizations are meeting in Canberra for 3 days,” said Dr Woodruff. “We are all here, committed to developing better ways to help their patients, but we are being ignored.”

“This is a very sad and alarming situation for all Australians,” said Dr Woodruff. “This commitment to improving the health of Australians is being ignored by the Federal Health Minister, Senator Patterson, and that means our patients health and their very lives at risk.”

“We are asking for the State and Federal Governments to stop their petty squabbling about who is paying for what in health care,” said Dr Woodruff. “Our patients don’t care which government is paying, we don’t care which government is paying, but our patients are suffering because of the continued squabbling.”

“What we need,” said Dr Woodruff, “is a simplified, accountable, transparent funding mechanism for health care which eliminates this squabbling. If the Federal and State Governments could agree to that, the many health care reforms we have been discussing over the last three days could be implemented and lives would be saved.”

“It is time for patient care, not politics, to become the dominant concern for health ministers, premiers, and the prime minister,” said Dr Woodruff. “Let us see that you really do care about your voters.”

Dr Tim Woodruff

President

Doctors Reform Society

For further information please contact the Doctors Reform Society during business hours

Back to Media Releases

[ Doctors Reform Society of Australia home page]
[ About DRS ] [ Search ] [ What's New ]
[ Policies ] [ Media Releases ] [ Published Letters ]
[ Online articles ]
[ New Doctor: Journal of the DRS ]
[ Discussion Board ] [ Contacting DRS ] [ Joining DRS ] [ Links ]