SA: Health reforms don't go far enough: SA opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2009
SA: Health reforms don't go far enough: SA opposition

ADELAIDE, Feb 16 AAP - The federal government is taking the easy option on healthcare
reform, the South Australian opposition says.

State opposition health spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said the health reform report released
on Monday, which called for a commonwealth takeover of primary care, failed to go far
enough.

She said the report prepared by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
would not deliver significant improvements for South Australia.

The commission's key recommendation is that the federal government assume total responsibility
for primary care, that is health care provided outside the hospital system.

But it stopped short of recommending similar action for the hospital system, only raising
it as an option.

Ms Chapman said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had picked up the "easy parts", left the
states with the "hard parts" and totally ignored the crisis areas.

"We still have to fund and administer the most difficult part of the health care system
- hospitals," she said in a statement released on Monday afternoon.

"This is another example of a government report which tells the government what it
wants to hear and ignores the root of the problems."

AAP lcs/srp

KEYWORD: HEALTH SA

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