… to fight for long term bipartisan funding of Mersey Hospital
Independent Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie and Devonport Mayor, Steve Martin have met with both the Liberal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Labor opposition Shadow Health minister Catherin King in an effort to lock in long-term federal funding for the Mersey Community Hospital.
Senator Lambie and Mayor Martin spoke about the meetings at Parliament house on Thursday 16.2.17
(Click below to view conversation on YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzh4aHvwnqs
“Last week during Federal Parliament, I organised separate meetings between Devonport Mayor Steve Martin, new Health Minister Greg Hunt, and Shadow Health Minister Catherine King, where Mayor Martin and myself were guaranteed bipartisan long term funding solutions for the Mersey Community Hospital.” said Senator Lambie.
“This is a great step forward. We left both meetings feeling that it’s not a matter of if but when the Mersey long term funding will be confirmed. I urge the new Health Minister Greg Hunt to follow through on our very positive conversation and quickly reveal a long-term commitment and funding solution for the Mersey Community Hospital.” said Senator Lambie.
“The recurring two-year funding model is inefficient and creates uncertainty within the community. The current deal means the Mersey Community Hospital runs out of funding in June this year. The clock is ticking on this deal. The staff and community deserve certainty for their future, and are understandably nervous about the security of their region’s health and economy.
One fact that all sides of politics can’t run away from, is that under the current state and federal Liberal’s heath plan – acute medical services have decreased in the N/NW region of Tasmania.
For example, ICU beds have been taken away – and patients needing intensive care, are being transferred to Launceston and Hobart, while those cities’ public hospitals are over-crowded and in crisis.
Critically injured and sick N/NW residents’ lives are being placed more at risk because of the Liberal’s decrease in acute hospital services in our region and the added reliance on patient transfer to make up for the decrease in basic health services.” said Senator Lambie.
Alderman Martin said: “The impression I got from the Minister for Health Greg Hunt was there will be an announcement made very shortly and we will be more than happy with the term and the outcome will be a lot longer than we are used to. So that’s a very positive thing.”
“I would certainly hope the Mersey is running on $72 million per annum right now, that level is not only kept, but increased by CPI,” Alderman Martin said.
Transcript – Senator Lambie and Devonport Mayor Steve Martin
Mersey Hospital Funding
Thursday 16.2.17
Jacqui Lambie: So Mayor, we have been out and about today in Parliament, we’ve been to see the Shadow Minister of Health and also the Health Minister. What is your take on it all for the Mersey?
Steve Martin: Well I think it sounds positive, we have been asking for long-term funding for the Mersey for 10 years, and the impression I got from the Minister for Health Greg Hunt was there will be an announcement made very shortly and we will be more than happy with the term and the outcome will be a lot longer than we are used to. So that’s a very positive thing.
With Catherine King, the Shadow Health Minister again we were able to gain a bipartisan agreement for long-term funding for the Mersey. I think that’s really important because if Governments were to change, we would certainly need to have them on the same page as far as the Mersey Community Hospital going ahead. We don’t want to happen what happened last time in regards to when Liberal had it, and Labor came in and sacked the locally elected board there for the Mersey.
Jacqui Lambie: So do you think there will be any drop in funding and what do you think the funding model is going to be or end up looking like?
Steve Martin: I am not quite sure until the announcement is made. I would certainly hope the Mersey is running on $72M per annum right now that level is not only kept, but increased by CPI.
In regards to the funding model and how that might be, very hard to say because at the moment the next COAG agreement runs out in 2020, so they might fund it up until then, then it might go into the public hospital budget, which then gives a five year period.
It might be eight-year, then five years ongoing – I don’t know.
Jacqui Lambie: But this funding we’ve got now secured now is only secured until June this year. It is now nearly the end of February that concerns me.
Steve Martin: That’s why I am hoping Minister Hunt will certainly make the announcement soon, I publicly invite him to come down to the Mersey to make that announcement, and that it is done within the next two to three weeks. Because it has to be made by 31st of March, the decision has to be finalised and then the funding of course kicks in from the first of July.
Rob Messenger for Senator Jacqui Lambie Senator for Tasmania
