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Government Slashes Dental Care, Ignores Chief Medical Officer
‘The announcement yesterday by Health Minister Ley that the Commonwealth funded Child Dental Benefits Scheme (CDBS) and the Public Adult Dental National Partnership Agreement will both be cut is a kick in the teeth for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who suffer daily both from tooth decay and the various diseases which poor oral health promotes’, said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society.
The announcement ignores the findings of a report into the CDBS authored by the Government’s own Chief Medical Officer which recommended an expansion of the scheme to cover in-patient care for complicated cases and much better promotion of the scheme. Read more
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STOOPS TO NEW LOW TO AVOID CRITIQUE OF HEALTH POLICIES
“The decision by the Government’s Department of Human Services to threaten an Australian who uses a variation on the Medicare logo to highlight concerns about the future of Medicare reveals a new low in the Coalition’s approach to Medicare”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society. “This Australian citizen’s crime appears to be that he is using the Medicare logo in his efforts to inform the public about the Federal Government’s wish to destroy Medicare as we know it”.
“Meanwhile the Government itself is unapologetic about using the logo in its own election campaign.”
“What does the Government want to hide from the Australian public when it pursues policies to silence voices that disagree with those policies? Does it really want Australians to accept health policies which will take us to an expensive, inefficient, privatised, Americanised system? Why does it wish to suppress alternative voices?”
“We need debate. We need many voices expressing their concerns, their fears, their hopes, and we need to respond. Suppressing public voices will not lead to a more effective, efficient, and equitable health system”
GOVERNMENT CONTINUES ATTACK ON HEALTH OF REFUGEES
The latest Federal Government announcement that no refugees and asylum seekers arriving by boat will ever be permitted to settle in Australia confirms that it is committed to ignoring the health needs of these human beings who already have life long scars from their experiences which have led them to risk their lives to escape, said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society. This deplorable continued lack of health care and support in detention centres is at the expense of and on behalf of the people of Australia
The well documented health effects of detention itself for people who have not committed any crime is reason to be deeply concerned. But the callous disregard of their ongoing health needs and a commitment by this Government to destroy whatever hope these clearly desperate people have is a reason for all Australians to be ashamed of our Government.
Health requires hope. The Government is destroying hope. It is also breaking the law by not adhering to the Convention on the Rights of the Child which it ratified in 1990. Below is just one item from the Convention which the Government is clearly ignoring in its policies in these detention centres.
Article 36: Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development
A healthy Australia cannot exist whilst these unhealthy policies continue. We call on the Government to bring all refugees in our care (and they are in our care despite claims to the contrary), to Australia and given the health and social support required for them to live healthy lives. They will make Australia a more healthy place to live.
Dr Tim Woodruff Dr Con Costa
Vice President Vice President
Ph 0401042619 Ph 0418400309
20th Jun 2016
Forget bulk billing, forget a fair go, lets have a privatised health system
The Prime Minister’s assurance that he is not intending to privatise Medicare must be questioned. His policies are making it harder for our patients to get decent health care. Privatisation by stealth is here. He already plans to privatise the Medicare payments system. His claims simply do not ring true, said Dr Peter Davoren, President, Doctors Reform Society.
28th May 2016
Focus on fair access to integrated primary health care from greens
Today’s announcement by the Greens of a $4.3 billion investment in integrated primary health care (the out of hospital care that most Australians need), is a welcome change from the parsimonious approach of the current Government, said Dr Tim Woodruff, vice president, Doctors Reform Society .
4th Jun 2016
Another unhealthy budget to kick low and middle income earners
“Last night’s budget locked in tax breaks for companies and above average earners, and confirmed the funding attacks on public hospitals, primary care, dental care, and education, including the $80 billion previous cuts to health and education”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, vice president, Doctors Reform Society. Increasing the division between high and low/middle income earners leads to poorer health outcomes irrespective of spending on health care, but when it is combined with direct cuts to public funding it is a clear signal that this Government has minimal interest in the health of those who cannot afford private health care.
24th Apr 2016
Government dental plan to keep kids toothless
“The Turnbull Government’s announcement of a supposed increase in public dental funding is an outrageous attack on the dental health of millions of Australians, especially children,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, vice president, Doctors Reform Society. The claim that this is a boost to dental funding hides the fact that it is only a boost after the cuts of the Abbott/Turnbull Governments. The claim that it increases the number of those eligible hides the fact that the increased number of eligible children will now have to wait years on public waiting lists because the public system simply doesn’t have enough dentists or other resourcesto service the extra millions of patients.
4th Apr 2016
Chronic Disease Health Plan 1 Step Closer To 2 Tiered Health System
CHRONIC DISEASE HEALTH PLAN
1 STEP CLOSER TO 2 TIERED HEALTH CARE
“The release yesterday by the Federal Government of a completely different way for funding the care of patients with chronic disease is on the surface, a very welcome change in direction with the capacity to improve health care”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, Doctors Reform Society. “But the reality is different. This Government is determined to make our health system two tiered by increased involvement of the private health insurance (PHI) industry.