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A PLAN to tackle the long wait for elective surgery should be delivered early next year after Australia's health ministers agreed today to urgently reform the system.
At their first joint meeting since the election,federal,state and territory health ministers met in Hobart and agreed elective surgery was the highest priority.
"All ministers agreed on the need for urgent reform of the Australian health system to improve services and ease much of the pressure on the system,particularly public hospitals," a communique from the meeting said.
Labor promised during the election that $600m would be used over four years to reduce waiting times for elective surgery in public hospitals.
State and territory ministers will later this month bid for the money,by outlining to the Commonwealth priority projects for using it.
Ms Roxon hailed the Hobart meeting a success,saying it was the start of ending the blame game on health funding.
Ministers also agreed that renegotiating the Australian Health Care Agreement,which expires on 30 June 2008,was a top priority.
New South Wales Health Minister Reba Meagher said the next agreement must put more money on the table for states and territories and have a focus on disease prevention.
Victoria's Health Minister Daniel Andrews said today he was confident a federal takeover of Victorian hospitals – which,Mr Rudd warned the states,would happen if their hospitals don't perform – would not occur.
The ministers agreed to meet again on January 31 in Melbourne.