The Barnett Government’s Health budget is a stand still budget that has failed to adequately address the challenges facing the Western Australian health system, Shadow Minister for Health Roger Cook said today.
Mr Cook said the Barnett Government had failed to deliver on key health promises and slashed funding to vital programs.

“The Barnett Government has tried to create the impression that health funding has expanded under this Budget,” he said. “Yet as a proportion of the overall budget, health funding basically remains the same as previous years – only time will tell if Western Australians will wait less for elective surgery or emergency department treatment.

“The centrepiece of the Barnett Government’s health election policy, the retention of Royal Perth Hospital appears to have stalled and Minister for Health Kim Hames looks like he’s walking away from his commitment,” he said. “There’s no commitment to redevelop Royal Perth Hospital. Despite the Minister previously stating it would cost $550million to upgrade the hospital, only $10million has been allocated for planning, which is no increase from the 2009-10 Budget. “The completion date for the new Princess Margaret Hospital has also been pushed back to late 2015.”

Mr Cook said Western Australian nurses would feel betrayed by the Barnett Government’s decision to cut funding to its Hospital Nurses Support Fund which was designed to attract and retain nurses and midwives by providing better equipment and facility upgrades.

“The Hospital Nurses Support Fund has been cut by a whopping $26.5million,” he said.
“After originally committing $7million per year over four years for this program, budget papers reveal that only $1.4million per year has been allocated.
“These decisions will have an enormous impact on health and hospital services across our state and Western Australian patients deserve an explanation.”