Shorten to pledge $1bn for hospital upgrades

Bill Shorten says Australia should have a “world-class healthcare system”.

Bill Shorten wants ‘the world’s best hospitals’. Picture: AAP

Bill Shorten will today announce $1 billion for capital works to upgrade Australia’s public hospitals, including the delivery of new wards, refurbished emergency departments and new palliative care and mental health facilities.

The Opposition Leader will make the announcement in the Royal Perth Hospital as he kicks off a week of campaigning in Western Australia in a bid to refocus the political message.

Mr Shorten has already announced that Labor, if elected, will establish a $2.8bn Better Hospitals Fund to bolster health services over 2019-25. Today’s announcement will provide clarity over how at least $1bn in the new hospitals fund will be directed if Mr Shorten wins office.

He said yesterday that Australia should have a “world-class healthcare system” but warned that some hospitals were suffering from neglect, pledging that Labor would always invest more in health and hospitals than the Liberal Party.

“Our nurses and doctors and health workforce do an amazing job but they are being stretched by ageing facilities,” he said.

“Labor’s investment will upgrade hospitals, expanding capacity … and building new facilities where they are needed.

“There’s nothing more important than your health — I want people to get the care they need as close as possible to their home. I want the world’s best hospitals — not the world’s best tax loopholes.”

The Labor Party is already working with state and territory governments to identify potential projects that could receive funding under the program. The $1bn investment will be flexible to better meet the needs of individual hospitals.

The funds could go towards the rebuilding and expansion of existing facilities to ensure more patients could be accommodated. In other instances, it could mean the construction of new units to better meet health needs.

Health Minister Greg Hunt yesterday announced a $200 million investment to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for Australian families in need of lifesaving scans such as ultrasounds and X-rays.

He said the indexation of Medicare Benefits Schedule items would be expanded to all ultrasound and diagnostic radiology services over three years from July 1 next year.

Mr Shorten said: “It’s a drop in the bucket. It’s five minutes to midnight and … too little too late.”