Health can’t wait

Health can’t wait

During the pandemic, politicians repeatedly told residents they were acting on “the advice of health experts.” It’s a strategy that should continue as we move forward.

I RECENTLY PARTICIPATED in a press conference with Premier Chris Minns, our new Health Minister Ryan Park, and Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant to promote the importance of getting vaccinated ahead of this year’s flu season.

Journalists who attended the media event, which was held in front of NSW Health headquarters in St Leonards, remarked that it was reminiscent of the 11am daily press conferences that we all became so familiar with during the pandemic.

Whilst the cast of characters had slightly changed, the underlying message was the same: taking action to prevent avoidable hospitalisations will keep residents healthy and safe and alleviate pressure on our already overburdened hospital system.

I’m hoping this event signals Labor’s willingness to take a page out of the previous Government’s playbook – one that served the people of NSW so well during the pandemic; to rely on the expert health advice of the clinicians and public servants that so effectively guided us through the COVID crisis.

The NSW health system faces many challenges, but it’s important to remember that for all its flaws, it is still the best performing system in the country and one of the best in the world.

This is one of the reasons AMA (NSW) has and is continuing to oppose the HSU’s calls for a Royal Commission into Health Spending, which Labor has committed to implementing.

We’re strongly requesting that the new Government not wait for a team of lawyers to decide what’s best for the health system, but to instead take advice from the experts who have successfully guided us through the most devastating health crisis to hit Australia in more than 100 years.

The ALP has committed to a Special Commission of Inquiry into health funding at a proposed cost of $15m. We don’t know what they intend to consider as part of that Inquiry. We assume given the findings of the Philip Review into Medicare that they won’t want to be highlighting the use of Medicare funds in our public health system. We do know that if there is an Inquiry into health, it will not cost $15m, not if it is to truly consider the scope and complexity of our health system.

NSW has just completed parliamentary inquiries into ambulance ramping and rural health. The new Government should be looking to implement the recommendations out of those inquiries before launching into another examination of the health system. Health can’t wait. We need solutions now.

I’m pleased that the new Government includes some Independents and Greens who have been valuable spokespeople in the past on important health issues. Ahead of the election, AMA (NSW) spoke with politicians who expressed support for a payroll tax exemption and a willingness to do the hard work it takes to improve our health system.

One of the most important fixes that will address many of the challenges we face is to improve workforce numbers across the State. AMA (NSW) made workforce the number one ask in its Election Priorities document and will again focus on this need in its upcoming Budget Submission. Your wellbeing depends on it.