Here is some coverage provided by the Consumer Health Forum.
Health debate highlights need for a transforming vision
2 May 2019 —
The National Press Club election health debate today provided a rare if welcome opportunity for the rival health policies to come under the sort of scrutiny we need to see more of, the CEO of the Consumers Health Forum, Leanne Wells, said.
“We congratulate the Health Minister, Greg Hunt, and Shadow Health Minister, Catherine King, for exposing themselves and their policies to questions on their health policies.
“This was a reasoned debate with only the odd heated exchange. However, the debate demonstrates that what we have is a patchwork of piecemeal proposals to fix various problems in the health system.
“What the Australian health system needs is a more holistic vision and coordinated health strategy that focuses on consumer needs.
“Both speakers put hospitals and medicine first. Neither spoke of the social determinants of health, such as housing, education and employment, which have such an impact on health.
“What we want to see is prevention and transformative primary care being central to the vision for better health in Australia.
“Each side is offering different initiatives, whether it be Labor’s bumper $7.5 billion boost to public hospitals, cancer care and pensioner dental treatment, or the Government’s plans to reform primary health care for the elderly by enabling easier communications with the doctor.
“Mr Hunt emphasised the individual benefits for patients able to access life-saving and highly expensive drugs through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, while Ms King said that on overall policy there was a stark choice between the two sides.
“Even before the debate yesterday, both sides of politics launched fresh initiatives. The Coalition announced earlier in the day a $308 million expansion in subsidies for medicines prescribed to patients with multiple conditions --- a pledge Labor said it would also meet.
“Labor also announced a $115 million preventive health plan, including a national obesity strategy which we welcome.
“The two parties’ views on a variety of issues ranging from mental health, to health insurance rebates to codeine regulation, highlight the diversity of costly and complex issues that bedevil health care.
“What Australian health consumers need now is a more joined up approach that gives much more emphasis to integrated care in the community,” Ms Wells said.
Here is the link:
Here is the coverage from AAP.
Election offers a 'stark choice' on health
Australia's healthcare system could be taken in two very different directions after the nation votes in this month's federal election, according to the two people vying to be its stewards.
Health Minister Greg Hunt and Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King have tried to distinguish their plans for keeping Australians well and looking after them when they are sick in a televised debate.
Ms King talked up Labor's proposal to spend $2.3 billion over four years to improve Medicare coverage of cancer services and an extra $2.8 billion on public hospitals.
"This election offers a stark choice, and nowhere is that choice more stark than when it comes to health policy," Ms King told the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday.
"It's a choice between a Labor Party with an ambitious health agenda, and a Liberal Party with no agenda at all."
Mr Hunt challenged the sentiment that his party doesn't have a vision for improving health care, saying it is focused on four areas: primary health, hospitals, mental health and medical research.
The coalition's efforts to improve primary health have involved increasing funding for Medicare, diagnostic imaging, and subsidies for making medicines more affordable, he argued.
It has also been making doctors more accessible to older patients over the phone and computer.
Hospitals, mental health centres and medical research have also been getting more cash under the current government, he argued.
Mr Hunt noted that Labor stopped subsidising all new medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme when last in government in 2011, a claim the party denies.
"That's why you need a comprehensive, long-term national health plan and you need a strong economy to back it," Mr Hunt said.
The minister also accused Labor of offering far too little detail on its new cancer investment and not estimating its costings correctly.
"They haven't done the work," he said.
But Ms King said the coalition simply had no plan to match its efforts to grapple with out-of-pocket costs for cancer treatment.
Labor also pledged on Wednesday to spend $115.6 million on initiatives to prevent people from becoming unwell, including $39 million over three years to implement a national anti-obesity strategy.
The opposition said it would "consider" forcing food companies to change the recipes of their products to make them healthier.
But Ms King stressed Labor wouldn't necessarily make the change "straight away".
Here is the link:
The election campaign has been underway for a bit over three weeks and we have about two to go.
As best I can tell the ADHA and their CEO are in ‘witness protection’ and it seems just no one wants to talk about Digital Health from either side.
Labor Policy from their manifesto (The National Platform) is as follows (p137):
Investing in digital health
49. Information and communications technology play a crucial role in health care by improving coordination and reducing duplication to deliver better health outcomes.
50. To drive better use of information and communications technology in health, Labor will:
· Continue to build the digital health record system while ensuring appropriate privacy and security protocols protect consumers’ rights and their sensitive medical information;
· Educate all Australians on the benefits of an electronic health record that will improve the coordination of care, eliminate duplication, and reduce the likelihood of errors;
· Work with health care professionals to disseminate health and related education via technology and increase utilisation of digital health, including uploading of required data;
· Integrate digital health records with hospital, pathology, diagnostic imaging, aged care, medicine compliance and other clinical systems, and where appropriate, seek to deliver more health care solutions into people’s own homes;
· Work with States and Territories to introduce electronic health records and integrate them with national systems including the My Health Record;
· Prioritise interoperability so information can be shared across our health care system;
· Expand the rollout of TeleHealth services for specialist care where the efficacy is already proven; and
· Encourage processes to facilitate better information sharing between patients, health providers, hospitals, pharmacies and insurers.
----- End Extract.
Here is the link:
Given Ms King’s comments in the period around opt-out with condemnation and a call for various changes and investigations it is hard to know how much actually is current. I think the approach may just be a bit more sceptical.
As for the Coalition they have a health policy:
See here:
No mention of Digital Health I can find – send a link if you can locate any useful policy material.
I listened to the whole debate and Digital Health was totally AWOL!
We can only conclude that both sides are so embarrassed with what has / is going on they prefer it not to be even mentioned! Pity no-one wants for face up to the issues and fix them!
What do you think?
David.
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