An independent health review mildly critical of some aspects of the system was not tabled in State Parliament.
Source: News Limited
AN INDEPENDENT health review mildly critical of some aspects of the system was not tabled in State Parliament until after public discussion over the controversial Transforming Health plan ended.
The Health Performance Council report, Review of the South Australian Health System Performance for 2011—2014, dated December 2014, praised the system for delivering world class care.
It found the system had made significant gains for the public despite budget pressures but noted there were equity issues.
It also warned against becoming obsessed with ‘health plans’.
“The health system is in danger of believing that creating a plan for change is the end of the journey,” it states.
“There are many plans — good plans — that have taken hours of work and consumed significant resources but little evidence that the plans have been effectively implemented and evaluated before further plans are developed.”
The report contained other criticisms but is likely to be its last — the council is listed for abolition by the Government.
Council chair Anne Dunn wrote in the report the health system does not embrace consumer and community engagement and the benefits gained from greater transparency and public accountability for its performance.
“We have detected a defensive tone when feedback is provided and this is also reported by the community sector,” she wrote.
The report also criticised the system for a lack of emphasis on prevention and primary care services to keep people out of hospital.
“Primary health care and early intervention services appear not to be valued as an integral part of the health system’s efforts to achieve health for all,” the report states.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade accused Health Minister Jack Snelling of ‘burying’ the report during the Transforming Health public discussion phase — a claim Mr Snelling’s office rejected.
Health Minister Jack Snelling
Source: News Corp Australia
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade
Source: News Limited
“Jack Snelling is trying to bury this critical report because it exposes the fatal flaw at the heart of his health cuts plan,” Mr Wade said.
“The Council’s review is highly critical of the Labor Government’s focus on hospitals at the expense of preventive and primary health services.
“It is outrageous that this review was not available during the consultation period on Labor’s health cuts plan and that the Minister goes on leave the day after he quietly dropped it in State Parliament.
“This is the most secretive, arrogant government we have had in decades — this new plan is a real estate plan, not a health plan.”
A Government spokesman said: “The Health Performance Council’s report is extensive and wideranging. Upon receiving the report, an appropriate briefing was prepared for the Minister for Health and the report was tabled within the required time frame.”
State Opposition claims a report on the health system was deliberately withheld until the last moment
No comments:
Post a Comment