Funding pain hits Barwon
Feds cut $9.9m for health
“Every doctor, nurse and patient will suffer because of Scott Morrison’s savage cuts to our hospitals.
TIME is ticking down to this weekend’s ninth annual art and clock exhibition to raise funds for the Andrew Love Cancer Centre.
Watercolour and pencil artist Dave Whittaker, oil painter Marg Bunting and printmaker and oil painter Mary Tegelaers, will all exhibit their paintings, with themes ranging from vibrant landscapes to travel destinations, birds and buildings.
Geelong clock hobbyist Mark Greskie will showcase more than 100 vintage clocks that he has lovingly restored over 20 years of collecting.
“It’s an exciting and interesting exhibition,” Mr Greskie said.
The exhibition will be held at 81 Bailey St, Belmont, today and tomorrow from 10am-6pm. Works will be for sale, with a percentage of all sales to go to the Andrew Love Cancer Centre. Entry is by gold coin donation. A FEDERAL Government funding recalculation will claw back $9.9 million allocated to Barwon Health over the past financial year, in what the State Government is slamming as savage cuts.
The Commonwealth’s hospital funding determination, a retrospective adjustment, effectively cuts $609.3 million in federal funding entitlements to states and territories in 2018-19.
The cuts remove about $200 million from Victoria, including almost $10 million from Barwon Health. It’s the equivalent of about 8940 chemotherapy procedures.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has stood by the adjustment, having already accepted advice to claw back funds that the states and territories were expecting for already delivered services.
In a letter from Premier Daniel Andrews to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, seen by the Geelong Advertiser, the Premier called for use of a dispute resolution clause in the National Health Reform Agreement to refer the dispute to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).
“The Commonwealth Treasurer’s recent determination on 2016-17 hospital funding removes approximately $200 million from Victorian public hospitals for services already delivered, putting vulnerable patients at risk,” Mr Andrews wrote.
“At every juncture and through a number of representations, Victoria and our state
GEELONG MP CHRISTINE COUZENS
and territory colleagues have made our concerns very clear. It is disappointing that to date, we have received no response from the Federal Minister for Health.
“Given all avenues have now been exhausted, I believe this matter must be considered by COAG at its next meeting on 12 December 2018 (in accordance with clause 23 of the NHRA) as a matter of priority.”
A December COAG meeting with the premiers would force Mr Morrison to negotiate a resolution before the next federal election due early next year.
Barwon Health did not comment, but state Labor MPs lined up to attack the Morrison Government.
Geelong MP Christine Couzens said: “Every doctor, nurse and patient will suffer because of Scott Morrison’s savage cuts to our hospitals. That’s why we want this on the COAG agenda.”
Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said: “Our hardworking hospitals have provided the treatment and care for Victorians, but Scott Morrison won’t pay the bill. He’s not holding up his end of the bargain – it’s not fair and it’s not on.”