Public patient? It's gruel for you!

by Peter Mac

The funding crisis facing NSW public hospitals took a Dickensian turn this 
week with the news that patients in Sydney's southern and eastern 
hospitals, other than those on special diets, will be served soup and plain 
bread instead of sandwiches for lunch, and cereals and toast instead of a 
hot breakfast.

The area's acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Barry Shepherd, said that the 
meal changes might save millions from the current hospital food bill, which 
would then "allow us to deliver more health care".

The meal changes reflect the desperation of public hospital administrators 
who are attempting to shave dollars off their running costs rather than cut 
medical services because of inadequate funding for public hospitals.

Professor John Dwyer, head of medicine at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital 
asked: "How far do we have to go to save money if we can't afford to feed 
the patients properly?".

Ambulances were recently advised to redirect all but life-threatening cases 
away from Sydney's five biggest public hospitals because of a shortage of 
beds.

As reported in last week's Guardian, Sydney's Westmead Hospital is 
considering "persuading" some of its public patients to pay part of the 
cost of their stay in hospital.

The Australian Senate's Community Affairs Reference Committee is currently 
holding an inquiry into public hospital funding. The Doctor's Reform 
Society (DRS) has applied to make a submission to the enquiry.

The National President of the DRS, Dr Peter Davoren, last week described 
the meal change proposal, and government policies for public health funding 
in general, as "strawberries and champagne for the rich, soup and a roll 
for the rest".

He criticised the Federal Government's cuts to public health funding, and 
called for the $1.5 billion private health insurance rebate to be allocated 
directly to public health.

Dr Davoren noted that "... the Federal Government only spends $6 billion a 
year on public hospitals, so the $1.5 billion spent on the rebate would 
provide a significant boost to public health funding if used for this 
purpose instead.

"The fact that the South Eastern Area Health service is considering putting 
its patients on war-time rations so they can afford to buy penicillin and 
plaster is an indictment on public health funding in Australia today."

DRS Vice-President Dr Con Costa condemned a recent suggestion by the 
Australian Health Insurance Association that the Medicare levy be raised to 
6.4 percent of taxable income.

He commented: "This is absurd. There'd be more than enough money to pay for 
Australia's health care if we didn't have to prop up the failed private 
health insurance industry with public money."