Labor’s bid to woo states into supporting NDIS reforms has hit a hurdle, with jurisdictions saying the Commonwealth’s promise to build an extra 5000 aged care beds a year won’t address the bed block already choking their health systems. Source: The Australian.
NDIS and Health Minister Mark Butler last month announced a multibillion-dollar aged care investment on the same day as unveiling the biggest changes to the $50 billion-a-year disability scheme since its inception.
But in a major escalation of state opposition against the reforms, health ministers argued Mr Butler’s pledge to build 5000 new beds a year from 2029 won’t address the bed block already crippling their hospitals.
At a meeting of the country’s health ministers on Friday, ministers challenged Mr Butler over imminent pressures on their health systems caused by patients waiting for NDIS or aged care placements.
While the meeting resulted in a joint agreement that an interstate task force would be formed to analyse how to cut down on patients exceeding their estimated discharge dates from hospital, state ministers were left fuming over a further lack of action to tackle aged care participants languishing in state health systems.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said he was “beyond concerned” over how states stricken by bed block would handle an influx of patients as soon as this winter.
He said the promised beds wouldn’t keep up with demand, instead saying the federal Government had to step in with more Home Care Packages and NDIS support to keep those people out of hospital.
While the Commonwealth offered a $2 billion sweetener to the states during negotiations on a national hospital funding agreement earlier this year, this was rejected in favour of a larger share of overall funding for hospitals.
Mr Butler yesterday said the interstate task force would “help get to the bottom of” beds being blocked.
Mr Butler’s promise of 5000 aged care beds a year came on the same day Aged Care Minister Sam Rae reiterated the country needed 10,000 annually.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said: “The Prime Minister promised action, but Queensland continues to be ground zero for Australian patients stranded inside public hospitals, waiting for aged care.”
FULL STORY
States slam Labor’s NDIS reform plan as aged care pledge fails to fix hospital bed block (By Lachlan Leeming, The Australian)
