14 May 2010
Peter Garrett AM
Federal Member for Kingsford Smith
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts
Member for Kingsford Smith, Peter Garrett, today welcomed the Government’s additional $2.2 billion investment in the health system, on a visit to the Prince of Wales Hospital.
Mr Garrett said these additional funds take the Government’s new investment in health reform to $7.3 billion over five years, and $23 billion over the rest of the decade.
Mr Garrett said the Budget’s new health announcements include investments that will improve access to General Practitioners (GPs) and primary health care, including better after hours services, 23 new GP Super Clinics, and upgrades to around 425 GP and primary health care clinics across the nation.
The Government also announced $523 million additional support and training for our nurses (including aged care nurses) – the backbone of our health system.
Also included in the Budget is a $467 million investment to modernise our health and hospital system through a new eHealth initiative.
“These really significant investments in health and hospital reform respond directly to some of the concerns I hear everyday from people in Kingsford Smith keen to ensure that they can access to a doctor when they’re sick.
“Here at the Prince of Wales Hospital we see the doctors, nurses and other staff perform small miracles everyday and I know how much their work is appreciated across the local area and across the state.
“I’m delighted to see this extra investment in this critical area of the budget, recognising how hard the team here works as well as the efforts of their colleagues across the country,” Mr Garrett said.
The Government is taking responsibility for the majority share of hospital costs and full policy and funding responsibility of GP and primary care services and aged care services.
This will provide an increasing benefit to states over time, starting with a guaranteed minimum of $15.6 billion in additional growth costs absorbed by the Commonwealth from 2014-15 to 2019-20.