| Publication: | The Australian |
|---|---|
| Date: | 15 February 2010 |
| Section: | Politics |
Adam Cresswell and Jared Owens
Article excerpt:
TONY Abbott has pledged a Coalition government would install local boards to fix public hospitals within six months of winning power -- likening the move to the Howard government's emergency intervention in Aboriginal communities.
Speaking at a Sydney public hospital yesterday, Mr Abbott said local boards comprising doctors, nurses and local business people would be prioritised for NSW and Queensland, where he said there were "suffocating bureaucracies" and "systematic malaise".
... The attack brought an immediate response from Health Minister Nicola Roxon, who said Mr Abbott's proposal was lightweight and "a real Clayton's plan -- the one you announce when you don't actually have a plan".
... NSW health minister Carmel Tebbutt said Mr Abbott had "no credibility on health reform", and that far from being a system overloaded with bureaucrats, corporate staff comprise only 3.6 per cent of total staff, compared with 5.1 per cent in 2003.
... But the plan received only a cautious welcome from the Australian Medical Association. AMA president Andrew Pesce said while giving doctors and nurses more input was a "step in the right direction", the plan was unclear on many key areas, including what would happen in other states.
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