Outrage at hospital under-funding

Jules Andrews

Apologies from the Minister, the sacking of two senior public 
servants and "the biggest medical inquiry since the investigation 
into deep sleep therapy at Chelmsford", will not save NSW public 
hospitals.

The real problems are clear: chronic budget shortages have led to 
under-staffing, poor training and equipment shortages in public 
hospitals. Lack of access to general practitioners who offer bulk 
billing and underfunding of community services has led to a bull-
rush on overcrowded hospital emergency departments.

This situation is inexcusable given the massive budget surpluses 
achieved by both Federal and State Governments:

The NSW Government proudly produces surplus budgets bloated by 
billions of dollars of gambling revenue and stamp duty on grossly 
over-valued real estate.

War, "border protection", and tax cuts take precedence over 
Medicare in the Federal arena.

Numerous revelations about the ailing NSW public hospital system 
have been made during the last month. Among them:

Camden and Campbelltown

Massive public outrage was directed at the two Sydney hospitals 
and the State Government after revelations that the preventable 
deaths of 19 patients and the further injury of many more were 
subjected to a cover-up.

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner and the former 
General Manager of the Macarthur Area Health Service have both 
been sacked by the State Government, and the Independent 
Commission Against Corruption has raided the hospitals and 
removed files and computers.

The scandal was first brought to public attention by five 
whistle-blower nurses who claim "a whole lot more" than 19 
patients have died.

The nurses allege they have been subjected to harassment and 
threats by hospital administrators and former NSW Health Minister 
Carl Scully.

Public donations pay wages

Westmead Children's Hospital used $2.5 million in public 
donations to pay staff, including cleaners, security guards and 
even surgeons.

David Say, the Treasurer and 14-year member of the Hospital 
Board, resigned over the issue. "Short term, I'd like to see the 
Government immediately repay the money that has been spent from  
donations", said Mr Say.

"...it is unreasonable for the Government to go on putting 
additional demands on hospitals while simultaneously cutting 
their effective budgets."

Elderly "clogging up" hospitals

A survey conducted by the Prince of Wales Hospital of 100 
patients over the age of 75 who had been admitted to the hospital 
through their emergency department found that:

* 79 would have been kept out of hospital if they had had earlier 
access to a GP

* 60 of the patients did not require hospital admission, but were 
admitted because there were no other services or accommodation 
able to take them.

* 19 of the remaining 40 who did require hospitalisation would 
not have needed an ambulance if other transport had been 
available.

Doctors' Reform Society (DRS) Specialist Geriatrician and author 
of the report, Tuly Rosenfeld, said "Every day in a public 
hospital a bed costs about $600 — and for $600 a day we could do 
an awful lot of alternative things for these people, including 
paying nurses to go to their home practically all day.

"The terrible stories we are hearing are about an under-resourced 
system failing to cope", said Tim Woodruff, President of the DRS.

"These problems are not restricted to NSW. The emergency 
departments of hospitals throughout Australia are feeling the 
pressure as chronic government under-funding takes its toll.

"More patients will die unnecessarily in public hospitals unless 
more funding is provided very soon", said Dr Woodruff.