Yes! Better Health Better Hospitals

Richard 4 months ago

We want real Primary Health Organisations and Local Health Networks and not millions spent in signage and new staionery that could go to health care....... Include administrative items into a phase out plan.. stop the waste!!!!! Hopefully communities will get real consultation as well and not window dressing!

Sarah 4 months ago

WE CANT LOSE BELLO HOSPITAL!!! I WANT TO BIRTH MY KIDS THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS BORN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please let me know anything i can do, its really important to me. i met the nurses in bello an marched in protest when i was home... im a singer an work with a few helpful people that im sure i could inspire to help with this great cause.. what i mean is im willing to go to any lenghts, to stop bello hospital from being taken away.. i believe its unnecessary because the reason behind it is ridiculous, the elderly of bellingen already have somewhere, so why take away something that is still needed for something we already have..... i want answers!!! an more so want to give support an help all i can.... please dont give up on this one... bello hospital is to important!!!!!!!!!! luv luv luv Sarah Rose Bennett

Lynne 4 months ago

We have a Facebook Page for the SAVE BELLINGEN HOSPITAL Movement. This Page has gone to 3326 in a month or two. No matter how many times I contact Politicians or Newspeople, I receive no response. Hey - I think 3300 People warrant some acknowledgement.
They surely are not getting it locally with NCAHS. Its a great profile of a town and surely represents the outrage and pain of small communities as well as their pride and celebration of their very own traditional health solutions. It would be a fine thing if ONE Labor pollie at least showed an interest in the little people and the little towns. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/p...

Richard 4 months ago

It is really good to see the premiers come on board! It is needed... now they need to provide the oversight that comes with the money!

Amy 4 months ago

I think that there should be a unit in the rosebud hospital for mothers about to give birth, i really think it is ridiculous for a pregnant mother about to go into labor having to travel an hour away just to get to a hospital where they have a birthing unit. These are people travelling from rye to frankston and probably even further back. It is so unfair to the mothers who want the best kind of facility for birthing there child as opposed to a filthy hospital claiming to be clean and healthy. Outside of fronkston hospital you can see people smoking around near the entry and other people who are drug users walking around picking up cigerette butts and trying to smoke them just for fix of tobacco. I am so disgusted. Frankston has a bad reputation and would never want my child to have been born there, i don't care how desperate a situation i may be in. Sorry for the babble, just pointing my view

Kylie 4 months ago

I support the proposed health reform. Something has to be done to improve our failing system. I particularly support the efforts to get the elderly out of hospitals and into nursing homes, which will free up thousands of beds nationwide.

However, I'm surprised at how little mention there has been of reform to Mental Health. This is an area which needs drastic improvement and reform, which doesn't seem to be being treated as a priority.

Shy Supporter 4 months ago

Regarding trips to the John Hunter Hospital when dealing with my father and mother's health issues, this hospital has treated my parents very well on previous visits.

I believe performance management is important and any coaching opportunities that are identified with staff, need to be addressed in a fair manner (With mentoring) and staff should be treated fairly if coaching is required.

I have seen waiting times in casualty vary from 2 hours to about 6 hrs.

A number of people needing help could be dealt with by GP access in the hospital. Some of these from my observations appear to be alcohol or drug related.

The casualty at times has way too many relatives in it and this makes the casualty uncomfortable if it is busy. A limitation of two or three relatives should be imposed.

Thats it.
Good luck with your changes.

Micheal 4 months ago

I suffer from Hydrocephalus with Arachnoid Cyst, Necrosis of both hips, Epilepsy, Asthma and other lesser associated health problems so I am very aware of the need to fix our health system and properly equip and fund our hospitals. Great to see you are at least trying to address this issue.
I have a question in regards to funding for research to find cures and/or better treatments for serious illnesses such as cancer, heart & lung conditions and neurological research to find a cure for conditions such as Hydrocephalus which affects well over a million Australians. Are you going to increase funding for research within the structure of your "Better Health" policy?

Richard 4 months ago

now if every member invited there friends and so on we could have a good forum here to communicate the needs of the community (local network) to the boards that will be appointed over them!

Brock 4 months ago

I think 'Lee Wilshier' you'll find the correct quotation of what I said posted by 'Shaun Cockburn' I never said we shouldn't look after smokers.

We look after people who are sick, the disease makes no difference, It's not a matter of if we shouldn't, that's just crazy! it's our job.

I was trying to make the point that it becomes very frustrating spending hours, weeks, months rehabilitating a patient with
a well trained multidisciplinary team, discharging them with appropriate supports, services and information, at there peak health status.
For them to go home rip off there patches and go back to 100 a day.

Whatever we are doing has not worked as far as people quiting smoking, despite our best efforts, and I believe the data showed a substantial increasing number of people quit smoking after the last price hike. Hell I myself gave up years ago when the prices went up.

You must forgive me if this seems like a rant (very likely) but I love my job and to see people in there 30's-40's dying from lung cancer with three children under 5 years a wife and a mortgage, I tend to become a bit self-righteous, I apologise if I offended any smokers that feel vindicated. Perhaps I am a victim of my own frustration.

Lee your quite correct lifestyle disease does attribute to a massive amount hospital costs no one can deny that, and I would support taxes on those issues as well, relative to the impact of attributed diseases. Perhaps I am clutching at straws but I think the scope for damage to peoples health with smoking is very high. Fatty foods and Alcohol if taken in moderation it does little damage and is somewhat reversible, I believe studies even show that a glass of wine once a day is good for you. However like the Ad says even one smoke is doing damage.

Basically I'm sick of seeing good people die when they don't have too, it is the only part of my job that I hate.

If this helps people to quit then so be it. I rather be seen as vindictive or that I'm 'picking on smokers' and see them live to see there grandchildren then letting people hang themselves.

Kevin Rudd is the only PM that I have seen in a long time give a toss about the Health System and at the moment it is hanging on by a thread, the health system has been neglected for years
with quick fix politics, cutting budgets, cutting expenses, not paying medical companies that supply crucial stock that's directly involved in patients care, deliberate under staffing to save money, double shifts for nurse (16 hours), more and more articles are coming out in the media of deaths in our hospitals that are preventable but with a workforce straining under the pressure and at breaking point it will just happen more and more.

If something dramatic doesn't happen soon things will just get worse make no mistake the health system is failing and if reform isn't achieved then prepare yourself for a lot more tragic hospital stories in the media.

Rant over.

Lee 4 months ago

I read below that we shouldn't be looking after smokers in hospital for their "lifestyle choice" (Brock Roberts) but isn't every disease caused more or less by the way in which that person has lived? Sure, you have congenital cases where they're born with something, but many conditions are a result of imbalances and stresses on the body so it's not helpful to class one condition as worthy and another one as not. However, if you go down the road of treating smoking as a drug, you begin to see the hypocrisy of govt in taking cash for smoking taxes (current amounts, not planned increases I mean) and benefiting from it. I have the same problem with gambling revenue. Taking money derived from someones unhealthy habit makes me feel a little creepy. Be constant. Make smoking as unavailable and restricted as other drugs like speed and heroin, and give a unwavering, obvious and constant message to the public about it. On the one hand it's socially acceptable and whole departments are devoted to it in supermarkets and shops, on the other we are told to constantly stop and see that the govt just grabs more and more revenue from it, much I don't think gets put toward health but may be wrong. I agree put up the cost of them as a deterent, but also make them harder to find, maybe only distribute them from needle exchanges where other drug addicts go to organise their drug fix.

Shaun 4 months ago

"Dont have a problem about smokers being taxed, I don't have any problems with people that choose to smoke, but I have a problem when I have to look after them in hospital for a lifestlye choice." - To Quote Brock.

Yes, it is a lifestyle choice, and yes maybe it does add admissions to hospitals, but isn't the $3 odd billion we are already taxed a year enough?? Lifestyle choices, Alcoholics, drug users, Auto accidents, Cars and polution in general, these are all lifestyle choices, so let's raise the taxes on them in accordance with the tax on smokes. Would you like to pay a 50% increase in the cost of fuel? Would you like to pay a 50% increase on the cost of a beer, or wine?

Taxes, they are great things, the people who can dodge them do, and those of us that can't, get slugged for everyone else. I work in a servo selling fuel. The amount of business owners who come in of a weekend and fill their boats, bikes and cars and get a "Tax Invoice" so they can claim it back at tax time is phenomonal! How bout making these people stop claiming taxes back that they have no right to claim back, that would add a few billion a year for health.

How about we a Australian Citizens demand that ALL Pollies take a pay cut back to the "Average" wage, that would add Billions for health. Where in the law, or the constitution of this country, does it say that it is ok to tax the hell out of people who can't afford it to make sure the Health System is fixed, or anything else for that matter. If we all give up smoking tomorrow like they say we should, would you be willing to pay the increased Income Tax, or GST that would be needed to cover the shortfall?

I have not used a public hospital in 25 years, and according to centrelink, I earn to much money to get a health care card, so I can't use them anyway. The last time I went anywhere near a doctor was for tonsilitis, which I had to go to a private doctor and PAY for the privillige, even though I fund the Public system to the tune of, I dunno, $4000 a year. Why should I have to do that when I can't use the system? Make Better Health Care, make private Insurance companies cut their premiums so that more people can join and use the Private system, which would still give them a decent profit each year, and keep the public system for emergencies and the like. I earn to much for a health care card, but be stuffed if I can afford Private Health Insurance, so I'm one of the many left caught in the middle with nothing, but still gotta fund it.

Kenieth 4 months ago

Smokers are Voters - Whether you are a smoker, or you join on principle, we can combine to say to the Prime Minister that it is cynical to tell people that putting up smokes 50% will do anything substantial, other than take good food and safe shelter out of the reach of poor and pensioner families. SMOKERS ARE VOTERS, KEV ... Shuffling the deckchairs on the titanic National Health Bill, won't make things better.
There are far more fundamental things that need to be done. Ask the Australian of the Year mate ... I'm sure you had a role in choosing him.
This 50% increase in smokes, if it goes through, will cause more stress to the Mentally Ill, than any other combination of things that might might happen in the rest of the year. Google how many billions are being spent on research into nicotine by medical companies who can't patent nicotine ... but they will patent it's separate parts when they know which ones can generate the most revenue. That is what this whole thing is about. Money ... not the health and welfare of ordinary Australians who unfortunately can't stop smoking.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Smokers...

Brock 4 months ago

Dont have a problem about smokers being taxed, I don't have any problems with people that choose to smoke, but I have a problem when I have to look after them in hospital for a lifestlye choice. Perhaps people should see a smoker wake up from anaesthetic and see if they still want to smoke, if they do they shouild be made to pay $40 a packet. Studies have comprehensively proven that smoking kills and adds to hospital admissions. God knows how much it costs each year in health care alone. People can smoke as much as they like but they have to pay for it. Stem Cell research will be the next big hurdle. A shame that the answer for so many diseases is stunted by religous beliefs. Ban Religion Allow Stem Cell research (if only) :)

Bek 4 months ago

I agree with Shaun, why is it all of us smokers get hit with the largest taxes in Australia. Maybe recreational drugs should be legalised so the users can be heavily taxed as they cost the health system a lot of resources and funds. The world is going stupid with the anti smoking...we are not lepars. All I can see is we are getting less say in what we as the community want because of all the social do gooders that are reformed smokers.

Vanessa 4 months ago

Can we legalise stem cell therapy while we are at it? How long are we going to let people die needlessly in the name of "christian ethics"

Shaun 4 months ago

I just want to say, Bring on better health care - FOR ALL - So we should all fund it, not just poor old smokers like myself. DON'T RAISE CIG TAXES!!! Find another avenue to fund the reforms!! Smokers already give Billions per year, why should we have to fund it all????

Richard 4 months ago

It is needed as i work in the system!

Bek 4 months ago

We all need a better health system and to be honest the one have is crap at the moment and will only get worse if we leave it in the hands of people like Brumby (VIC Premier)

Ron 4 months ago

I live in Ipswich, Qld and it's definitely needed. Can't wait!!

Bhagavan 4 months ago

You can join the cause for Better Health and Better Hospitals on Facebook at http://bit.ly/9AIwd6 #KevinPM Team

這個計劃是全人類認識生命，研究生命，令人類生命健康長壽，令人類更好的分享生命，所跨出的重要一步。澳洲人民有福了！

This Cause is a significant step forward for human beings to understand life, to research into life, to make human lives healthy with longevity, in order to better share our lives. Australians are so fortunate!