Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare Catherine King and Federal Member for Braddon Justine Keay have welcomed news of a deal for the Mersey Community Hospital, but said the devil will be in the detail.
“Today’s news provides some certainty for the community, but both the State and Federal Government should have been upfront about this deal instead of creating unnecessary angst,” Ms Keay said.
“While this will go some way to helping to ensure the future of the Mersey, further scrutiny of this deal is warranted considering the Government has form on under-delivering on its commitments.”
Ms King said that the national hospital funding agreement recognised that the Commonwealth should increase its contribution to public hospitals by up to 6.5 per cent a year.
“However, this deal effectively locks the Mersey in to current funding levels for 10 years,” Ms King said.
“Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull needs to explain how the Mersey will meet the North West’s growing needs within its existing budget.”
Ms Keay said she would be seeking more details on the funding agreement.
“The Prime Minister needs to explain how there will be funding certainty under the proposal to speculate on the stock market through Tascorp,” Ms Keay said.
“I want to ensure that all stakeholders including staff, local Councils and the wider community have the best understanding of this agreement and what it means for the long term future of healthcare on the North West coast.”
WEDNESDAY, 5 APRIL 2017