Bob Baldwin, Member for Paterson remains concerned about the future of local hospitals after the Prime Minister’s policy back flip.

Kevin Rudd’s National Health and Hospitals Network for Australia policy clearly states that “… the majority share of the funding for every public hospital in Australia will be linked to the number of type of actual services they deliver.”

Kevin Rudd has now however, backed away from this claim, instead suggesting that rural and regional hospitals may be funded by a block grant funding arrangement.

“The Coalition supports the principle of activity-based funding, but we have repeatedly highlighted the implications of case mix for small rural and regional hospitals,” said Mr Baldwin.

“Less than a month ago Kevin Rudd released his hospitals plan, promising it would fix our dire health system, yet already he is second-guessing it,” said Mr Baldwin.

“This comes after media reports which suggested Labor’s plan could force many small hospitals to close, including Tomaree Community Hospital, Gloucester Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Bulahdelah Community Hospital and the Dungog Community Hospital.

“It is yet another attempt by Labor to make piecemeal policy, severely lacking in detail,” said Mr Baldwin.

During a visit to Broken Hill at the weekend, the Prime Minister was unable to answer a question on whether a 90 bed hospital would be funded under case mix funding, block grant funding, or a combination funding model.

“Patients need certainty that their local hospital will stay open with adequate resources and deserve better than policy on the run,” said Mr Baldwin.

“Kevin Rudd told us he would take over hospitals by June 2009, he told us he wouldn’t means-test private health, he cut the rebate for cataract surgery and took pain-relieving joint injections off the Medicare Benefits Schedule.