Fed: Patterson says health summit has been politicised

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Fed: Patterson says health summit has been politicised

CANBERRA, Aug 17 AAP - A national health summit starting in Canberra today had beenpoliticised and would recommend the states refuse to sign up to a new funding agreement,federal Health Minister Kay Patterson said.

More than 250 doctors, nurses and health providers are scheduled to attend the independenthealth summit to be held over the next three days, which is designed to develop proposalsto overhaul the health system.

But Senator Patterson said the agenda had already been set and included a refusal bythe states and territories to sign up to the new five year Australian Health Care Agreements(AHCA), which she said offered a $10 billion increase in funding.

The federal government has offered the states $42 billion over the next five years,conditional on them matching the funding.

But the states have rejected the deal, claiming it offered $1 billion less than theprevious agreements.

"The forum ... over the next three days, I think the intent may have been okay butit's been politicised and there was a leaked email during the week that indicated quiteclearly that the process has been politicised," Senator Patterson told ABC television.

"That doesn't demean the input of some of the people, but the agenda has already beenwritten, the communique has already been written and they are advocating that the statesnot sign, or only sign for a year.

"That's not really appropriate, we'd have another argy-bargy in a year's time."

Senator Patterson has been locked in the dispute with the states and territories overthe AHCA for months and said it was time for it to be finalised to address reform issues.

She said ACT Health Minister Simon Corbell indicated on Friday that he was preparedto sign the agreement but then withdrew.

"I think he might have been jumped on from a great height by the other state premiersand health ministers," Senator Patterson said.

She blasted Queensland Premier Peter Beattie for placing a full-page advertisementin The Australian newspaper saying the federal government was refusing to hand back theproper share of taxes paid by Queenslanders.

He said Senator Patterson's AHCA deal slashed $160 million from Queensland.

But Senator Patterson said Mr Beattie was misrepresenting what was happening.

"The Commonwealth is going to give Queensland $2.1 billion more, that's 20 per centover and above inflation," she said.

"I don't know how he can say it's a decrease but he used taxpayers' money to say that."

AAP sm/cjh/jlw

KEYWORD: HEALTH PATTERSON