State and territory health ministers will press the Albanese Government to pour more funding into aged care beds as the number of older Australians stranded in public hospitals remains stubbornly high. Source: The Australian.
New data shows the number of medically cleared patients in Queensland hospitals awaiting placements in specialist aged care beds and NDIS-supported facilities has grown by 169 people to 1437 since December, of which about three-quarters are seeking aged care.
This represents 11.4 per cent of the state’s hospital capacity, costing more than $3 million per day, with 15 people waiting more than 700 days.
All states have campaigned for the federal Health Minister Mark Butler to bolster the Commonwealth-backed aged care sector in addition to the $25 billion boost to hospital funding negotiated at National Cabinet in January.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said Canberra was not listening to states and territories ahead of a national meeting of health ministers on Friday.
“The Commonwealth’s aged care plan for Queensland remains unclear – we do not yet know how many additional places will be delivered across the state, where they will be located, or when they will become available,” Mr Nicholls said.
“It seems when it comes to both aged care and NDIS the Commonwealth’s plan is simply just to shift the cost and responsibility onto the states.”
A further 427 medically cleared patients are waiting to be moved into residential aged care in Perth, with 461 also sitting in South Australian hospital care.
The $25 billion for public hospitals over five years was negotiated at National Cabinet in January, including an extra $2 billion sweetener over four years to aid states’ patient problem in exchange for state support of the federal government’s Thriving Kids reform to the NDIS.
However, Grattan Institute Program Director of Health and Aged Care Peter Breadon said dedicated aged care funding was needed to deliver real progress.
The Australian Medical Association president, Danielle McMullen, said healthcare professionals have raised concerns about this issue for more than a decade, with pressure on already burdened health systems continuing to mount without proper investment in caring for the nation’s population.
FULL STORY
State ministers demand federal funds for aged care amid stranded patient crisis (By Mackenzie Scott, The Australian)
