"Tuesday's budget has delivered on much needed tax reform which will help make decent housing more affordable to sick Australians," said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society, "but health reform has been all but forgotten."
"The 110,000 Australians waiting for Aged Care packages for care in the home will continue to wait, many taking up beds in public hospitals, meaning patients needing hospital care will also have to wait. New funding has been provided for Aged Care beds which is good."
"Commonwealth dental funding has been locked in at the same dollar value for years and will continue to do so. That is a funding cut," said Dr Woodfuff. "The mouth does not matter."
"Reform to funding of general practice has not received any extra money and mooted plans for such reform, hailed 3 years ago under the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, appears to be going nowhere except for the very expensive expansion of Urgent Care Clinics."
"For the next 12 months preventable deaths will continue as this Government almost ignores health."
Dr Tim Woodruff
