Media release
15 December 2003
“More patients will die unnecessarily in public hospitals unless more funding is provided very soon,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society
“The terrible stories we are hearing are about an under resourced system failing to cope,” said Dr Woodruff. “These problems are not restricted to NSW. The emergency departments of hospitals throughout Australia are feeling the pressure as chronic government under funding takes its toll.”
“Many State Governments have increased their funding to hospitals but from a very low base, whilst the Federal Government has ignored public hospitals and played politics with people’s lives,” said Dr Woodruff. “It has ignored the plight of general practice which simply means hospitals are dealing with more patients who should have been sorted out by GPs, it has grossly undermanaged its Aged Care responsibilities so that public hospitals are overcrowded with patients waiting for Aged Care places, and it has under funded the States in the argy bargy of the Australian Health Care Agreements.”
“We call on both State and Federal Governments to stop fighting politics with peoples lives, stop blaming other people for their incompetence, and start co operating so that when disasters like a Bali bombing occurs, our public hospitals are there for everyone.”
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Dr Tim Woodruff President Doctors Reform Society |
Dr Con Costa Vice President |
Dr Tracey Schrader Vice President |
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