Should Rudd takeover the hospitals?

[Jovial Monk]

Attabull been on air saying Rudd broke an election pledge to take over the hospitals if the States couldn't or wouldn't reform them. No takeover will happen, esp while the GFC is still raging. This is what Rudd actually said b4 the election:

Commonwealth Takeover of Public Hospitals
If by mid-2009 the Commonwealth and the States and Territories have not begun implementing the National Health Reform Plan, a proposition for the Commonwealth to assume full funding responsibility will be developed and put to the Australian people.

Should the Australian people agree to a Commonwealth takeover of hospital funding, a model would be devised to ensure the future of State, private and community managed hospitals.

Under a Commonwealth financing model, regional and local communities would directly participate in the management of public hospitals. But ultimately responsibility for the quality of patient care will lie with Canberra.

http://web.archive.org/web/200711150331 ... loo230.php

[Biff O'Hara]

Attabull been on air saying Rudd broke an election pledge to take over the hospitals if the States couldn't or wouldn't reform them. No takeover will happen, esp while the GFC is still raging. This is what Rudd actually said b4 the election:

Commonwealth Takeover of Public Hospitals
If by mid-2009 the Commonwealth and the States and Territories have not begun implementing the National Health Reform Plan, a proposition for the Commonwealth to assume full funding responsibility will be developed and put to the Australian people.

Should the Australian people agree to a Commonwealth takeover of hospital funding, a model would be devised to ensure the future of State, private and community managed hospitals.

Under a Commonwealth financing model, regional and local communities would directly participate in the management of public hospitals. But ultimately responsibility for the quality of patient care will lie with Canberra.

http://web.archive.org/web/200711150331 ... loo230.php

Why not appoint a Hospital Watch Commissioner? He could share ownership of the binoculars with the Petrol Watch Commissioner and the Prices Watch Commissioner.

[Jovial Monk]

One thing missing from the report is how to dismantle the huge bureaucracy in each public hospital that does nothing productive.