PM pledges $1.2b for doctors, nurses

MORE than $1.25 billion in extra federal cash is to go to hospitals and medical services over the next four years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will pledge the funds for more doctors, nurses and medical services for all states and territories tomorrow.

The cash is on top of record levels of public hospital funding and a new agreement with states to provide an additional $30 billion from 2020.

The PM will credit the Government’s strong economic management for the pledge, telling News Corp: “This is the tangible benefit of a strong economy, and it’s why I am so committed to keeping our economy strong.

“A strong economy gives us the ability to continue our record investment in Medicare, hospitals, new medicines and new treatments.”

The PM says the $1.26 billion Community Health and Hospitals Program will support patient care and reduce pressure on community and hospital services, providing: EXTRA mental health services to ease pressure on emergency departments. NEW drug rehabilitation services, including residential. REGIONAL and rural cancer treatment services to help country towns gain access to critical services. GREATER access to clinical trials and the advances being made in medical research, giving people access to new breakthrough treatments.

The Government says the additional pledge will take health funding levels to almost half a billion dollars more than federal Labor has pledged over the same period.

Under a new deal put to states, Commonwealth funding for public hospitals is to more than double to $28.7 billion in 2024-25.

A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Health Expenditure report confirmed that the Commonwealth continues to do the heavy lifting in funding public hospitals. Federal funding increased by 6.2 per cent in real terms between 2015-16 and 2016-17, while state and territory funding rose by just 0.1 per cent.