Health Sector Has Moved On From Cliched Criticisms

"Most people in the health sector have moved on from the cliched response to today's Budget from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialist," Health Minister Wyatt Creech said today.

"They trot out the same line year in and year out. In fact real spending on health has never been higher, it is up $2 billion (in real terms) from the beginning of the decade.

"Health funding is now more certain and secure with the change to a sustainable funding path, reiterated in today's Budget. That means the Budget offers a business as usual approach for the core health spending.

"I am surprised to see the continuing accusations of "commercialism and bureaucracy".

"Today's Budget shows that $40 million dollars over three years will be saved from bureaucracy and administration and ploughed back into more operations for more people.

"The so-called commercial approach is also a misnomer. This approach was dropped two years ago. Hospitals are required to operate in a businesslike way but are not expected to be the profit making businesses the Association's statement suggests.

"The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists doesn't seem to realise that the health sector and health services have come a long way since 1990.

"We are focused on delivering certain, secure services that give people confidence about the stability of their health services giving them better health outcomes," Mr Creech said. "This Budget reinforces that."