Media Release: Anthony Albanese Called Out for Aged Care and Hospital Failures

Every state and territory leader has today called out Anthony Albanese for breaking his hospital funding commitments, an unprecedented and united intervention that shows just how badly the Prime Minister has mismanaged Australia's health, aged care and disability systems.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said the unanimous rebuke showed the Albanese Government had completely lost control of our health system.

"This is a Prime Minister who is quick to make announcements but unwilling to deliver on them, and now every state and territory is calling him out," Senator Ruston said.

“Anthony Albanese promised to strengthen hospital funding but is now retreating behind caps that could actually reduce the Commonwealth’s contribution, which would amount to a major broken promise. The states and territories have had enough of being left to carry the burden of his failures.

“The Prime Minister’s refusal to accept responsibility is even more concerning given that Labor’s own aged care failures are driving much of the pressure on hospitals.

“A major independent analysis has exposed the reality of Labor’s aged care crisis – just 578 additional residential beds were delivered last year, when more than 10,000 are needed annually.

“Occupancy is now above 94 per cent and hundreds of thousands of older Australians have been left waiting for home care. These are people who should be supported by our aged care system, but instead many are stuck in hospital beds with nowhere to go, creating serious gridlock.

“The states and territories are right to call out the Prime Minister. They are the ones dealing with ramped ambulances, cancelled surgeries and wards running at capacity.”

Senator Ruston said the situation had been worsened by the Prime Minister’s failure to finalise the hospital funding agreement he promised to deliver months ago.

“Anthony Albanese has tied critical disability initiatives to a hospital funding deal he seems completely incapable of negotiating. The result is uncertainty for hospitals, uncertainty for Australians with disability, and a health system being pushed to breaking point.”

ENDS