VPN - $267 million in new health spending

$267 million health package

The Minister for Health, Mr. Knowles, has outlined details of the $267 million package of healthcare spending resulting from the State Budget and the new Medicare agreement.

The funding package will boost the health care budget by ten per cent.

Victoria’s hospitals now treat 200,000 more people each year than they did five years ago, meaning that Victoria has achieved one of the smallest waiting lists - per head of population - of any state in this country, and in fact any country in the world that has universal access to public healthcare.

Mr Knowles said a one-off funding boost of $12 million would target semi-urgent and non-urgent elective surgery waiting lists.

Key spending from the $134 million Australian Health Care Agreement (Medicare) funding over the next year are:

Up to $50 million through the Department of Veterans Affairs for hospitals to treat veterans. The funding will provide a premium for each individual treatment to ensure that veterans receive the highest possible quality of care.

$49 million in base funding, indexed into the future, for medical equipment and support for teaching and research. Research and teaching money will provide infrastructure such as buildings, plus personnel and payroll funding and part-salaries to researchers who provide some clinical service. Some funding will also go into sub-acute care and post-acute care.

$15 million per year to improve quality and access. Funding will be targeted at improved discharge planning and continuity of care between hospitals, specialists, GPs and community care.

$20 million in one-off funding to meet urgent needs, including $12 million to reduce semi-urgent and non-urgent waiting lists, particularly with orthopaedic, ophthalmology, plastics and urology cases. The remainder of the $20 million will be spent on an occupational health and safety program to reduce work-related back injuries among nurses; to buy specific equipment in the aged-care setting; and for equipment purchases for small hospitals.

(News Release, Minister for Health, September 7, 1998)