What we're talking about

Pauline on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS have destroyed my own family. They failed in their duty of care to provide a baby moniter for the deaf , thousands of ... more
Christine on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' isn't it funny how DHS don't recognise the psychological effects of domestic violence on children and continue to allow ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' There is a family In the Cairns Area who are Foster Carers.Atherton Child Safety have threatened the carers and own ... more
duncan on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i have spent time with this family. it is a house full of love. "mum", grandfather and older sblings.this cannot be an issue ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Family Law is different from the rest of the law in this country.. Ie. Family Law is based on probability: ie if it might ... more
carol annetta on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' having known this family for some time i am disgusted with the treatment she has received. it seems more of a witch hunt ... more
Maureen Hillary on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Derryn,I have counselled traumatized parents as a result of DHS staff.There are great staff workers who care but they ... more
Janet Tavener on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I am a visitor to this country.My attention was drawn to the case of these children and their foster mother by a relative of ... more
sam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Happening in Tasmania also.Wewon a court case over 8 months ago and due process still hasn't been done.We spent 17,000 ... more
Anne Glover on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I just cannot believe what the DHS has put the Foster Mother, and the children through - I thought the DHS was supposed to ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS are the most disgraceful organization I have ever had the displeasure of becoming involved with. They are so ... more
Vicki on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hi Derryn,I have known this carer since primary school, she has always put others above herself. Being a carer myself I know ... more
Gran'ma Pam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' As any of us with any sense know, these children should NEVER have been taken from this lady (mum) in the first place, they ... more
Dominic Lombardo on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I see my daughter every six months DHS are conducting a vendetta against me I have not been told why I can only see her ... more
cassy houghton on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hello Derryn,Firstly i would like to thankyou for your support and the willingness to help this beautiful family.I ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Im a carer also in Qld. I see this happen way too much from our Government. They are starting to use Carers own children as ... more
paul on "I'll pay the fee," says Hinch I believe what Liberal Party has done is stupid. But I feel for candidates like Joh Bauch and James Buonopane who want to ... more
Andrea on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Why are these public servants allowed to blatantly flout the law without the same consequences the rest of society faces? I ... more
birth mother on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i am the birth morther of these 4 children and i just want to say dhs dont care they just want the kids in care so they can ... more
Frances Goff on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Derryn, Firstly, Happy BirthdayHaving worked in a primary school for 15 year I have seen some terrible things regarding DHS ... more

Hinch Blog: Rudd's health plan

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 3 March, 2010 - 5:57 PM

Everybody knows our health system is sick. Everybody. Especially patients. Especially people who are rushed to hospital in an ambulance and then wait hours to be admitted. Or be sent home. Especially older people who wait and wait and wait for what they jokingly call 'elective surgery'. As if you 'elect' to have a worn out knee or hip replaced.

Especially over-worked doctors and nurses and ambulance drivers and paramedics playing bagatelle around the city as they try to beat the hospital bypass system.

Everybody knows. But does anybody know how to fix it?

We've had promise after promise from Governments, both state and federal, around election time for about 30 years.

Before the last Federal election then Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd talked tough and said the health buck stops with me. If the states don't fix things up

Quick smart I'll take over the whole system in 2009. Well, like most of the other Rudd threats and promises it didn't happen.

And maybe that was just as well when you see how tragically Rudd and Garrett handled the giant insulation scheme. If they couldn't do insulations safely how could you trust them with inoculations?

The latest big brave Rudd scheme seems to be that the Federal Government will take over the purse strings for hospitals but get locals to run them.

Who will those people be?

Former Treasurer, and would be Prime Minister Peter Costello was right when he writes in The Age today that they would be the people now running the health system for state governments who would in future report to Canberra.

He makes a strong case: "Do you think this will make the hospitals run better? Do you think the federal minister will take responsibility for any failures in the health system? About as much responsibility as Garrett takes for insulation."

I'm not sure the Opposition would be any better. Shadow Health Minister Peter Dutton was blathering on TV today about how New South Wales and Queensland needed special treatment at the expense of other states. What sort of a national scheme would that be.

To me both prescriptions are faulty. The patients will still suffer.

Blog comments

Caz, the woman was treated!! when people who do not attend hospital present to the emergency department demanding treatment for their cold or sore ankle, saying they don't want to pay to go to the GP, they take up the beds that this woman could have used.

Kazz Monday 12 July, 2010 - 10:54 AM
Wazza, you were able to tell by looking at that other woman that she was only a little bit sick, we need you working in our hospitals, we wouldn't need any triage staff, you could just take one look and tell staff who needs to be treated next

Kazz Monday 12 July, 2010 - 10:51 AM
What is the difference between Colon Cancer and Intestinal Cancer?

4d ultrasound Friday 9 July, 2010 - 8:47 PM
My wife was in a car accident, and had head injurys, she had to wait two and half hours in emergency waiting room, whilst woman who came in behind her filling a bit sick got in within minutes, my wife waited feeling sick and with blurred vision and massive migrane, and still she had to wait, also she had a broken hand as well, good one Bumbly!

Wazza Monday 8 March, 2010 - 11:58 AM
Why must the person holding the sign showing road have a qualifications.
Why can we have politions with no competency
Garrett
Roxan and others
Try walking through the kids cancer ward and our pollies want to McDonald.

Charles van Breda Monday 8 March, 2010 - 3:11 AM
Unfortunately, Mr. Rudd's term started with global recession. We need to give more time to prove himself. One term is not enough to any government to implement all the election promises, that to, when entire world market is under recovery from the global recession. We need to appreciate Mr.Rudd and his team for handling the economy fairly good during his first term. Hopefully, he will have time to concentrate on the developments, promises, public problems, etc, during his next term. Everyone should not forget that, our country is the only country among many developed countries, who are not in recession. We need to give him one more chance to implement the promises.

Maddy Thursday 4 March, 2010 - 8:54 PM