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“The health-based choice between the two major parties in this election comes down to a Labor party which understands the need for reform and has new ideas, or the Coalition which rejects the need for reform and is content with addressing a few deficiencies in the system”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“Both parties have promised a variety of patch up initiatives and programs to address issues like workforce shortages, after hours access, and hospital access”, said Dr Woodruff. “But quality of care, integrated chronic disease management, new models of community based care, and access to specialist services, seem to be a step too far for the vision-less Coalition.”

“Labor has some excellent ideas about these issues, e.g. performances indicators, investment in a Health and Quality Commission, single funder for primary care, co-ordinating primary care organisations (Medicare Locals), and expanded telemedicine”, said Dr Woodruff. “Labor’s implementation plan is unclear. What is presented is a start. Implementation of new ideas requires care as Labor has learnt”.

“There is much missing from both parties’ agenda. Dental care has been ignored. Mental health has been drip fed. Major structural reform to address the widespread geographical and financial barriers to care has been ignored. But there are clear differences of vision between the two major parties, even despite the many deficiencies.”

“Green’s policy also promises reform”, said Dr Woodruff. “The lack of detail makes it very difficult to compare. From both its policy principles and its previous positions, one can reasonably expect it to be generally supportive of reforms which point in the direction of accessible publicly funded health care.”