The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments today reached agreement
in principle on the five year Australian Health Care Agreement to
commence on 1 July 1998.
This agreement is worth almost $5.5 billion to Queensland over
five years, including a first year value to Queensland in excess of
$1 billion, compared to the $4.3 billion over five years
provided under the current Labor Medicare Agreement.
Specific new funding elements of the five year Agreement for Queensland
include $24.5 million waiting lists funding programme in 1998-99
and $45 million from the National Development Fund for infrastructure
reform and development.
The people of Queensland will benefit immediately from extra money
available under the Commonwealth's Critical and Urgent Treatment
(CUT) Waiting Lists Incentive programme, and from the additional flexibility
that the Agreement provides to improve the quality of care and encourage
greater innovation in delivering health care services.
The Queensland Government will be able to use the immediate availability
of $15 million in this current financial year to further build
upon the achievements of the Surgery On Time strategy.
This determined approach has already lifted the proportion of urgent
(category one) patients that receive treatment within 30 days from
just 51% in 1995 to 99%, and is now aiming to provide treatment to
the 95% of all semi-urgent (category two) patients within the clinically
accepted 90-day period by 30 June 1998.
This would surpass the achievements of every other public hospital
system in Australia, and equal world-best practice in elective surgery
clearance times.
Queensland has a proud tradition of free public hospital treatment,
having been the first State to establish comprehensive free services
to the community in 1947.
The Australian Health Care Agreement will allow Queensland to build
on the strengths of its health care system and to enhance the availability
of important programmes in mental health, palliative care, veterans'
care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
In recognition of the special and particular demands on the Queensland
health system arising from the Torres Strait Treaty and the proximity
of the border with Papua New Guinea, the Commonwealth will provide
$11 million over five years for further action in this area.
Additionally, in recognition of Queensland's early preparedness
to enter into an agreement, the Commonwealth is prepared to guarantee
immediate payments under the Critical and Urgent Treatment (CUT) Waiting
Lists Incentive program of $15 million in 1997-98.
The Commonwealth's offer has been adapted from the $933.5 million
base offer made at the Premier's Conference on 20 March 1998
to provide increased certainty in funding and to recognise Queensland's
health care priorities.
Queensland has been assured that it will not be disadvantaged by early
entry into the Agreement and will be treated on the same basis as
other States and Territories.
This undertaking guarantees that Queensland will receive its proportional
share should the Commonwealth subsequently decide to increase the
global funding that is offered under the Australian Health Care Agreements
to States and Territories.
A similar undertaking was provided to the ACT Chief Minister, Mrs Kate Carnell,
MLA, when her government signed an in principle agreement earlier
this year, and was honoured when the Commonwealth subsequently increased
its global offer at the meeting of Health Ministers on 10 March.
Queensland and other States which signed early during the negotiations
over the 1993 agreements were severely disadvantaged when the Keating
Government, in order to bribe the largest States into signing at the
eleventh hour on 30 June, gave NSW and Victoria an extra $150 million
a year and promptly reduced the Financial Assistance Grants to the
smaller States by the same amount.
The Commonwealth will also be moving to pay the full cost for treatment
provided to veteran Gold Card holders in Queensland public hospitals.
Dr Wooldridge and Mr Horan will hold further discussions to resolve
detailed issues and settle the wording of the Australian Health Care
Agreement to be signed by our governments.