Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta for her question. It is not surprising that she is one member who would want to ask this question, because in her electorate of Parramatta the historic Health Reform Agreement, which has been struck with every state and territory around the country, is delivering 45 extra beds at Westmead Hospital—and 40 of those are already open, providing services to patients as we speak today.

This reform is going to deliver to many patients, not just through the provision of extra beds—1,300 extra subacute beds—but also through greater efficiency, greater transparency and accountability, more services for patients and less waiting. An extra $19.8 billion in funding is going to be provided. We have committed to sharing in the growth of hospital expenditure in equal partnership with the states and territories. In doing that we have assured that there will be accountability for where every dollar of public hospital funding is going. For the first time we will be paying hospitals actually for the services that they deliver. There will be national standards for emergency departments and for elective surgery—and the MyHospitals website will publicly report on performance—and more local governance of health services through the establishment of local hospital networks and Medicare Locals.

Reform like this is never easy in health. It is a credit to the Prime Minister, who has had the determination to get these big things done. I also want to congratulate all of the states and territories for finalising this agreement, including all the Liberal Premiers—those in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

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