Andrew Leigh

BILL SHORTEN MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS & ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS
MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG

CATHERINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICARE
MEMBER FOR BALLARAT
 
ANDREW LEIGH
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
MEMBER FOR FENNER

SENATOR DAVID SMITH
SENATOR FOR THE ACT

ALICIA PAYNE
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR CANBERRA

LABOR’S INVESTMENT PLAN FOR CANBERRA’S HOSPITALS

A Shorten Labor Government will boost health services in the ACT by building a new dedicated outpatient clinic, establishing a new palliative care in-patient unit and upgrading support services for new mums.

Federal Labor will invest an additional $20 million in these new services for the people of Canberra, while also honouring all existing Commonwealth commitments such as the upgrade to Canberra Hospital ICU.

Labor’s extra commitments will include $10 million for a new outpatient clinic at Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce, giving residents of the ACT and southern NSW better access to free specialist appointments.

As the population of Canberra and the surrounding southern NSW region rapidly expands and ages, demand for health services in this area is growing quickly – including for specialists and elective surgery.

This new clinic is expected to deliver timely care for a range of common specialities and ultimately lead to improved health outcomes for patients who need surgery.

Labor will also invest $6 million for a new palliative care in-patient unit at Canberra Hospital. This will give the hospital better capacity to provide critical care for patients as they reach the end of their lives.

We are committed to improving palliative care across the country to ensure all Australians are afforded the comfort, dignity and privacy they need in their final days.

Labor will also spend $4m to upgrade QEII Family Centre in Curtin so it can provide in-patient support to women experiencing post-natal difficulties, for example because of breastfeeding problems or they have a baby with special needs.

This investment will pay for an additional two in-patient beds, as well as new spaces to have day services and drop-in services as the role of QEII is expanded.

These investments are part of Federal Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to fix our hospitals and strengthen Medicare.
At a time when everything is going up except people’s wages, soaring health care costs under the Liberals are putting more strain on the family budget - and more strain on our public hospitals.

Despite this, Scott Morrison locked in his public hospital cuts in this week’s Budget.

As Treasurer, he cut $715 million from hospitals under the current 2017 to 2020 funding agreement with the states. This week he locked in even bigger cuts for the next five years.

Only Labor is promising a better deal.

We will pay for this investment in Canberra’s hospital system through our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund, which will more than reverse the Liberal cuts as well as fund new capital projects like these ones.

Labor knows there’s nothing more important than your health – that’s why we will always fight for better health care and why only Labor can be trusted to fix Australia’s hospitals.

ENDS

Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra.