DRS 

Doctors Reform Society

Media Release

18 December 2003

 

Medical Indemnity- Another Nail in the Coffin of Medicare and the

Public Hospital System

 

"Yesterdays' announcement by the Government that it has no solution to the medical indemnity crisis means more patients will die in our public hospitals or waiting to go to them," said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

 Further revelations that the public hospitals are under huge strain is evidenced by reports from NSW today.

 

And yet the Government has failed to fund increases in premiums and levies which will lead to further strains on doctors working in public hospital. Some will leave and patients will suffer. "This is a clear indication the Government does not care about the public hospital system or Medicare" said Dr Woodruff.

 

"Instead it has a $4.6 billion surplus it intends to use to finance tax breaks which Australians would prefer to spend on better health care. Instead it continues to find $2.5 billion per year for private health insurance and can only find $2.5 over 4 years for Medicare."

 

"It appears unconcerned that public hospitals are showing the strain, pretending that it is not responsible whilst it refuses to negotiate adequate funding agreements for those hospitals with the states, undermanages Aged Care so that many patients who should be in nursing homes are in overcrowded public hospitals, and lets bulk billing rates fall."

 

State and Federal Government need to cooperate to sort out the funding crisis and burdening doctors with extra payment for medical indemnity will only help to destroy the public system. Tony Abbott has not sorted out Medicare. Medical indemnity is a small part of his disastrously managed portfolio. We can expect many more deaths before this Government acts in the interest of all Australians."