Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKrenzie welcomes Victoria’s move to sign on to the Liberal and Nationals Government’s public hospital agreement.
Senator McKenzie said it means an additional $7.3 billion for Victorian public hospitals and patients.
The National Health Agreement from 2020-21 to 2024-25 will deliver record hospital funding in each and every year, providing millions of additional hospital services for patients.
“This funding increase of $7.3 billion is going to benefit all Victorians,” Senator McKenzie said.
“One of the common concerns The Nationals hear right across rural and regional Victoria is access to health services. More than $32.4 billion for Victorian public hospitals over the next five years is a tremendous result that will provide better health outcomes for those in the regions.”
Under the Agreement, Victorian public hospitals will receive more than $32.4 billion over the five years to 2024-25, delivering an additional $7.3 billion in funding.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, welcomed the constructive engagement with the Victorian Government, saying the funding was “vital for Victorian patients.”
“In particular, I welcome the cooperation on delivering funding certainty,” he said.
“It is agreed that changes in methodology will be implemented through a transition period to ensure accurate information is collected and provided to the independent funding body.
“This ensures budget certainty for Victoria whilst the Commonwealth will only pay for services where there is evidence that they were delivered.”
The money is in addition to the $460 million the Liberal-National Government is investing in a range of health medical research centres throughout Victoria, including the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, that will save and protect lives.
Seven of Australia’s eight states and territories are now covered by the record funding agreement, including four Labor governments and three Liberal governments.
Queensland’s refusal to sign on to this record funding deal is blocking access for other states and territories to $50 million in health innovation funding.
The new five-year funding agreement will deliver $131.4 billion in Commonwealth hospital funding, including $31.4 billion in additional funding across Australia – delivering millions of new and extra hospital services to patient’s right around Australia.
The Agreement also establishes a comprehensive reform process to improve Australians’ health outcomes and decrease avoidable demand for public hospital services through long-term system wide reforms.