States demand action on aged care ‘bed block crisis’ as health ministers meet
State health ministers say more than 3000 older Australians are stuck in public hospitals or residential aged care when they should be at home, in what they describe as a deepening bed block crisis.
The figures come from the report card released on Friday as state and territory ministers prepare to meet their federal counterpart Mark Butler in Brisbane to negotiate the next five-year public hospital funding deal.
They say the number of “stranded” patients has increased by 630 since they called on the federal government to take action at their last meeting in September.
The problem is most severe in Queensland, where more than 1,000 elderly patients languish in public hospital beds, followed by NSW with more than 850 patients.
Ministers argued that each of these patients was medically ready for discharge but could not leave because there were no beds for them to go to in federally run aged care facilities.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said in a joint statement that the federal government had failed to fulfill its responsibility.
“States and territories are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to stranded Australians and delaying other Queenslanders from needing urgent care,” he said.
His New South Wales counterpart Ryan Park said his state was doing its part by investing in aged care outreach, home hospitals and other initiatives.
“I call on the Commonwealth to take action and get the job done to deliver care for aged care and NDIS patients,” he said.
Negotiations on the health budget have been delayed for two years due to disagreement over how to share the skyrocketing cost burden of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Butler told ABC Radio Sydney on Thursday that talks were progressing constructively and he was confident an agreement would be reached by the end of the year.
He said officials from health departments, prime minister’s departments and treasury ministries met for a full day of talks on Monday, but ultimately the deal would be made between the prime ministers and the prime minister.
Describing it as “a big, complex deal we have to make” that includes disability services as well as hospital financing, Butler called on states to look at how efficiently and effectively their public hospitals are operating.
“Are their digital systems perfect? Are their patient flow systems perfect? I think we are doing our part,” he said.
“At a time when pressure is mounting on all our health and aged care systems, we want to work collaboratively to ensure we get the best return for every dollar taxpayers put into the system.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blasted Queensland for its public campaigning at a press conference in Canberra on Thursday, saying: “I wrote to them in good faith… That’s how negotiations happen. If the Queensland Government is truly serious about making a breakthrough, they will act maturely and respond to the letter I sent in good faith.”
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