Written for the Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA), published in the PH News.
Working together is the key to a better health care system.
That was the message from Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) board president, Christine Gee, at the recent APHA National Congress.
During her keynote address, Ms Gee acknowledged the sector was facing a time of “unprecedented challenges”.
“But people value private hospitals,” she said. “Even in the face of rising cost of living, they continue to invest in their private health insurance.”
Ms Gee added the private sector had continued to deliver increased efficiencies in the past two years, despite “sharp cost increases”.
“It’s more important than ever that our insurance companies partner with us to help deliver services,” she said.
Ms Gee said private hospitals serviced 4.8 million patients each year, as well as provided 32 per cent of all ICU separations, 61 per cent of all surgical services, and more than 80 per cent of all in-patient rehabilitation separations.
The sector also provides up to 45 per cent of all acute adult psychiatric beds and 54 per cent of all chemotherapy.
“It’s in the mutual interest of insurance users and hospitals to negotiate commercially viable options,” Ms Gee said.
“Unfortunately, 15 private facilities closed in the past year, including four psychiatric hospitals.
“It’s inevitable there will be further closures, but APHA has put the government on notice to step in and work with us.
“We need government targeted support and national level reform is needed.”
During her keynote address, Ms Gee identified a list of services provided by the private sector, which included:
• More than 30 emergency departments
• More than 100 intensive care units
• More than 1.6 million surgical admissions
• 1.6 million medical admissions
• 70,000 admissions for childbirth
• 1.4 million days of intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation
• 976,000 days of overnight psychiatric care
• 240,000 days of ambulatory mental health care
Ms Ghee said it was time for Australia to decide how to best use the valuable resources of the private hospital sector.
“Private hospitals employ 150,000 people … and we deliver benefits beyond our organisations,” she said.
“We play an essential role in communities, and when a service closes, it’s felt at a local level.
“The challenges that face the private sector are shared problems and we need shared solutions.
“We cannot address this in isolation. Consumers, clinicians, private care, public and private hospital services – we all have solutions to offer the Australian health care system.
“We need to make these conversations happen.”