Tag Archives: health reform

Some hard truths about health care

November 17, 2009 – 9:35 am

Health reform is in the wind but perhaps it won’t really make the difference that is being sought unless it acknowledges and addresses some hard truths about health care.
That is the suggestion of this very interesting piece below from Patrick Bolton, who has long and diverse experience in the industry.  He has worked as a [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Hospitals, health reform, quality and safety of health care | Also tagged | Comments (4)

Regulation works: a postcard from France

November 10, 2009 – 8:33 pm

All eyes may be on the US just now when it comes to discussions about health care reform, but perhaps it’s worth looking to the French as well.
Croakey’s roving health correspondent Simon Burrow reports on his recent experiences with the French health system:

By Croakey | Posted in health reform | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Let’s shake up the debate about medical training

November 10, 2009 – 9:17 am

Health workforce maldistribution and shortages, and the oncoming tsunami of medical graduates are generating widespread discussions about the future of health and medical training in the context of moves towards health reform.
Professor Bruce Robinson, dean of medicine at the University of Sydney, has recently suggested that one solution may be to broaden the range of [...]

By Croakey | Posted in health and medical education, health reform, health workforce | Also tagged | Comments (3)

Where does the PM stand on health equity?

October 16, 2009 – 10:06 am

OK, so the recent post on why Health Ministers should insist on health equity impact statements for all policy recommendations may have revealed me as a hopelessly tragic idealist. And that’s not all. On reflection, I was also being a bit simplistic.
Of course, if we really care about health equity, health ministers would probably not [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Health inequalities, health reform, rural and remote health | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

Why aren’t we making better use of pharmacy?

October 15, 2009 – 7:33 pm

Why isn’t Australia making better use of its pharmacy resources?
That’s the question on health consultant Simon Burrow’s mind as he jetsets across the world. He’s picked up a few ideas from South Africa and the United States that he suggests might be useful/relevant for health reform in Oz.
He writes:
“The recent primary healthcare debate and [...]

By Croakey | Posted in health reform, pharmacy | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Medicare Select: the best option for consumers

October 13, 2009 – 7:03 pm

And the debate about Medicare Select continues…
Vern Hughes, the Secretary of the National Federation of Parents Families and Carers, has joined the discussion which has been going on here, here, here, and here at Croakey and also at Inside Story.
He writes:
“The National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers was one of just two organisations out [...]

By Croakey | Posted in consumer health information, health reform | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

The health reform we DON’T need: Prof Stephen Leeder

October 9, 2009 – 11:37 am

Debate about the Medicare Select proposal continues.
Professor Stephen Leeder, professor of public health at the University of Sydney, argues the case against.
He writes:
“The prime minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, is conducting an extensive “direct consultation with the health sector and with communities around the nation” about the health reforms proposed by the National Health and [...]

By Croakey | Posted in health reform | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

Where do the homeless figure in health reform?

October 7, 2009 – 4:02 pm

We’ve heard a lot of debate about what proposed health reforms might mean for people with chronic diseases or people on hospital waiting lists.
But we haven’t heard much at all about what the reforms might mean for one extremely needy group who are often not well served by existing health services or funding structures.
Professor Ian [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Health inequalities, health reform, primary health care, public health | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Would Medicare Select mean a fairer health system?

October 7, 2009 – 3:17 pm

The Medicare Select proposal has been generating some deep thinking and interesting debates.
Dr Tim Woodruff from the Doctors Reform Society has been putting his thinking cap to work, and you can read some of his concerns and conclusions below.
He writes:
“The debate about Medicare Select as a viable health reform option is welcome, given that [...]

By Croakey | Posted in health financing and costs, health reform | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

Is the Govt retreating from serious health reform? Ian Hickie

October 2, 2009 – 10:47 am

Are we on the verge of real health reform?
We’re not even close – and if you’re expecting anything meaningful to happen before 2020, you’re just not paying close enough attention.
That’s  the assessment of Professor Ian Hickie, executive director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.
And he thinks the Federal [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Indigenous health, Journal articles, health reform, mental health | Also tagged , | Comments (3)