AUSTRALIAN GREENS SA HEALTH POLICY
(This platform applies the Australian Greens Health Policy to South Australia and should be read in conjunction with the detailed national health policy)
Healthy Planet, Healthy Communities, Healthy People
Background
The proportion of the South Australian population over the age of 65 is rising rapidly. The rise is occurring in South Australia sooner and more rapidly that in other states Costs for provision of treatment and rehabilitation services are expected to rise dramatically unless early prevention is implemented and service efficiency and targeting is improved.
Aboriginal populations on the other hand are comparatively young with more than 60% of Aboriginal people under the age of 25 years. Equitable arrangements are required immediately to ensure that services effectively respond to the unique needs of to Aboriginal people.
The current health system is fragmented and poorly coordinated at state and federal levels. There is a need for better planning and increased investment in future health of South Australians through prevention and primary health care
Key Principles
- We believe that health is a sense of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.
- We respect the wisdom of the Indigenous peoples of Australia in their understanding that their relationship to the land is fundamental to their health and well-being.
- We recognise that social, political, environmental and economic factors are the most significant determinants of health. Our health policy focuses on developing and promoting health and well-being, preventing illness and disease, and providing affordable, accessible and appropriate health care.
For a full set of principles and policy directions see the full Australian Greens Health Policy.
Goals
- Ensure the provision of free universal access to primary health care
- Ensure access to low cost medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Ensure access to free public hospital health care
- Ensure early identification and prevention of risk factors for poor health
- Ensure social economic and family policies that promote health among individuals and populations
- Ensure the development and implementation of higher health care standards, particularly in relation to mental health, Aboriginal Health and aged care where need currently outstrips policy responses and service provision
- Ensure equitable access to health care regardless of place of residence, culture or socio-economic status
- Ensure that indirect costs to the individual of accessing health care are equal regardless of place of residence
- Ensure strong community based services that are able to treat people in their homes and provide support to people with mental or physical illnesses, people with a disability, the frail aged and their carers
- Reverse the trend towards the corporatisation of medicine, the increasing control by trans-national companies in determining what policies and interventions are implemented
- Counter current attacks on Australia’s free health care system which resulting in reduced services, increased privatisation and moves towards an unfair user pays system of health care.
Short term Targets
- Reduce waiting list times for elective surgery by 30%
- Ensure a safe water supply and sanitation system for every Aboriginal person living in SA
- Ensure that cultural, language and geographical barriers to the use of preventive and treatment service are removed by targeted access and equity funding programs, the employment of staff with wide cultural backgrounds and experience, and training of all health care providers and administrators
- Obtain recognition by State and Federal Governments that Dental Health is a core component of health and increase funding for dental services to deliver universal free primary dental health care to all South Australians
- Reduce acute hospitalisation rates through disease prevention and health promotion and providing adequate alternative services, facilities and financial support within community health care services
- Increase the proportion of the health budget for disease and injury prevention and health promotion programs to a level that will counter long term increases in health care costs associated with an ageing population
- Implement a state wide integrated activity and nutrition program through partnerships between health agencies and practitioners, education bodies and youth
- Lobby the Council of Health Ministers and COAG to broadening the broaden Medicare to permit all health practitioners and alternative therapist qualified to deliver scheduled to claim Medicare rebates
- Implementing safe staffing levels and standards of care, in consultation with community groups and unions
- Support for health care workers employment rights and conditions
- Implementation Health care workforce planning that addresses shortages of skilled staffing and links the health care sector with TAFE and universities and ensures adequate numbers of skilled workers
- Universal, free access to ambulance services
- Broaden health indicators to measure the primary health status and wellbeing of populations at a local level to complement existing tertiary disease and mortality based systems
- Ensure that people experiencing autism spectrum disorders and Aspergers syndrome be given access to appropriate health facilities and treatments, support programs and resources.
Related platforms and policies
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