| The Australian Health and hospital system is like a | | | | away with staff? Yes, of course, but who is going |
| lot of its patients, very ill, with not good prospects | | | | to input the data? Data Entry Personnel! |
| for recovery. | | | | As for the Health Funds and the Pharmaceutical |
| The Federal Government has just finagled a deal | | | | companies, well they are dependent on the |
| with GST and the States (except WA.) on | | | | government to fund Medicare and to set the |
| returning some GST funding to go towards their | | | | rates for the Private Health Funds. As for the big |
| respective Health systems and hospitals. The PM | | | | Pharmas, well they need to get their drugs on to |
| and his Health Minister trumpet that this new flow | | | | the Public Benefit list, so the price is subsidised, |
| of funds will reduce waiting periods in Emergency, | | | | and so all the GP'S and the Hospital doctors |
| provide more funds for primary care, reduce | | | | prescribe the latest pill for curing left handed |
| waiting time for elective surgery, increase nursing | | | | toe-itis. |
| staff, become the cornerstone of a new Federal | | | | The Medical Profession. The doctors, consultants, |
| State relationship, etc etc. But the sorry truth is | | | | specialists and University Professors are all highly |
| that it will not make one iota of difference to | | | | educated people with the altruism and dedication |
| what the general public experience at their local | | | | directed toward helping people in their time |
| hospital. There will still be anecdotal (and true) | | | | of health need. Many do amazing operations |
| stories of waiting 8 hours or greater at | | | | which are on the bleeding edge of technology, |
| Emergency, patients dying from infection or being | | | | researchers spend years ( and lots of money) on |
| given overdoses or wrong doses of antibiotics, | | | | programs that lead to vaccines which cure a |
| inadequate nursing care while in hospital due to | | | | range from influenza to the HIV virus, to stem |
| skilled nurse shortages, negligence by nursing and | | | | cell research which may cure Spinal Cord Injury |
| medical staff including registrars, surgeons and | | | | through to Parkinson's disease. Neuro surgeons |
| consultants, and other medical catastrophes which | | | | now regularly carry out brain operations which |
| have made the newspapers with much more | | | | were unheard of a mere ten years ago. Medical |
| regularity. People are now genuinely distressed and | | | | journals publish research into every area and |
| fearful of hospitals. Multi resistant viruses and | | | | hospitals and universities vie for medical |
| inoperable cancers are increasing the risk of dying. | | | | academics who will give them the best publicity. |
| We are losing or have lost faith in our medical | | | | Which will assist them in attracting more funding. |
| system. Here is my opinion why. | | | | Which will enable them to attract more medical |
| There are six major vested interests involved in | | | | academics, which will,........etc. |
| our health systems- Federal and State | | | | When governments seek to enhance their |
| Governments, the Medical Profession and | | | | profiles, decide on populist measures, seek votes |
| associated other health professionals, the Health | | | | from particular industry bodies, invest in |
| Funds including Medicare, the Pharmaceutical | | | | infrastructure, or move closer to an election, then |
| corporations, and the Public. Look at the Public | | | | greater funding flows to recipient bodies who are |
| interest first. You and I will at some stage | | | | malleable or who are prepared to pledge their |
| become ill or suffer injury, or be subjected to ia | | | | loyalty to the fund provider. The desperate |
| virus, and will look to the medical profession to | | | | clawing for funds, far outweighs the funds. Who |
| help us. The first line of defence is the local GP, | | | | should receive more funding? What is the |
| and after that, the Specialist, and after that, well | | | | measurable criteria? The public good now, or in |
| it is usually Hospital, either for observation or | | | | the future? The higher profile organisations? The |
| further tests, or if a full diagnosis has been | | | | indigenous community? The Vested Interests? |
| completed, surgery or medical care of some | | | | At grass roots level in the Hospital system, the |
| description. For a patient with an elongated | | | | standards are mediocre at best. How can things |
| recuperation, you start to notice some serious | | | | change? How can we instill professionalism, a |
| flaws in the system. A lot of medical staff are | | | | basic level of customer service and customer |
| foreign, English is a second language, | | | | satisfaction as we see those performance |
| communication is difficult, and its very hard to find | | | | indicators being used in business? How can we |
| out exactly what is wrong, what is the path to | | | | change a systemic and endemic culture that says |
| recovery, and on a daily basis, how are you | | | | near enough is good enough, I do a fair days |
| progressing. Are you told the results of pathology | | | | work for not enough money, but no more; I |
| tests, ECG's, x-rays, CT and MRI scans, and any | | | | don't get a bonus, but the fat cats do; why no |
| or all other tests? Why are there so few | | | | incentives for me if I work hard, but get no |
| Registered Nurses in your ward? Why are casual | | | | reward other than the same again tomorrow? If I |
| Agency staff being used predominately to | | | | can work out a more efficient and productive |
| augment the few RNs? Why are night staff | | | | process, which eliminates risk, and saves money, |
| reduced to the level of so few, that they cannot | | | | why is that saving not passed on to me? Why |
| cope? Why don't you get to talk to your doctor | | | | does it go back into general funds and gobbled up |
| when you want to? Why does it take an infinite | | | | by the bureaucracy? If bureaucrats are such |
| time for someone to answer my buzzer? The | | | | great administrators and managers, how come |
| answer is money, and the lack of funding. And | | | | hundreds of suppliers around the State, are owed |
| who controls the funding? The Bureaucrats.Which | | | | large amounts of money, for goods or services |
| is our next vested interest. | | | | delivered a considerable time ago? The |
| If the Federal Government and each State | | | | Universities and Nursing Colleges who provide |
| Government is funding their Hospitals, the | | | | tertiary qualifications are not blame free. Where |
| Community Nursing Services and all associated | | | | else does the systemic mediocrity start? The Unis |
| health services, then in all prudence and legally, | | | | are only too well aware that the more foreign |
| they require administration and financial | | | | students they enroll, the larger the revenue. |
| management of the funds and where the funds | | | | Thirty thousand dollars for a three year degree |
| are spent. This requires an army of | | | | course is not to be interrupted by failing a non |
| administrators, in fact a bigger army than we | | | | English speaking student who is unable to reach |
| presently have in our Australian Defence | | | | the pass rate standard after 6 months of |
| Forces. How does this conglomerate mass of | | | | tuition. Registered nursing staff I have spoken |
| part of humanity think? Well read George Orwell, | | | | with complain that communication in English in |
| 1984 or observe the Gorgons in the film, The | | | | some wards is non existent. The hands -on |
| Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There is an | | | | training for graduates is minimal, and when they |
| unwritten law in the corporate world, that if you | | | | hit the hospital system, there are inadequately |
| want real power then as a senior manger you | | | | supervised as the few registered nurses have no |
| have to have a large financial budget and | | | | time. |
| resources. For "resources" read people. So | | | | An increasing redirection of Government funds |
| government bureaucratic thinking is the same. | | | | from the taxpayers to the Health system will not |
| Create more bureaucrats each time the | | | | solve the problem, because the problem is not |
| government releases more funds. But what about | | | | money, but culture. |
| the IT systems and the databases, can't they do | | | | Physician, Heal Thyself! |