Victorian Premier Vows To Fight For Continued Joint Hospital Funding

Daniel Andrews has vowed to fight on after Tuesday's Federal Budget confirmed the temporary pandemic arrangement would end in December.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, the premier vowed to fight on for continued joint hospital funding with the federal government.

"Our position, I’ll only speak for Victoria, but I think I would be joined by other colleagues, is again putting patients before politics, 50-50 is a proper partnership.... that remains my view," he said.

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Andrews’ call has been backed by the Australian Medical Association, who claim the “time is running out for our overstretched health system".

"The government needs to use the next six months to prepare a package of measures to deliver additional investments in health that address the crisis in our ramped public hospitals, further support our overworked GPs, and reform the private health system.

“This budget also doesn’t address the long-running logjam facing our public hospitals," the AMA said in a statement on Tuesday following the Federal Budget.

"We need to see 50/50 funding implemented and the arbitrary 6.5 per cent cap on federal hospital funding growth scrapped if we are to address the record ambulance ramping and wait lists."

- Australian Medical Association

The AMA has previously called for the Covid funding to be extended to 2025, as well as calling for the commonwealth to commit to a long-term 50-50 split in health funding.

Likewise, the Victorian premier has also highlighted the need to reform Australia’s Medicare system, to avoid the health system imploding.

"If you can’t find a free bulk billing doctor, then the only other free option for you is to go to the hospital emergency department," Andrews conceded.

"It’s not just hospital funding, although our position is unchanged, it’s also a primary care system that’s better connected to hospitals and is also there to keep you out of hospital."

- Premier Daniel Andrews

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