Minister meets Catholic hospital sector to discuss viability options

The Catholic Health Australia (CHA) Board recently hosted a working lunch with Health Minister Mark Butler and Catholic hospital CEOs at Cabrini Health in Melbourne.

The meeting provided the Minister with an opportunity to share his priorities for health system reform and allowed CEOs to discuss concerns regarding the sustainability of private hospitals.

The federal government has announced the Private Hospital Sector Financial Health Check, marking the beginning of a conversation about the long-term viability of private hospitals. At the meeting, several mechanisms to improve the short-term viability of private hospitals were discussed, including leveraging their capacity to support public hospitals in areas such as elective surgery, mental health, and maternity care.

Digital health was also a topic of discussion, and the meeting emphasised the critical role the private sector plays in transitioning to a more digital and interoperable system.

Workforce shortages remain a significant barrier to reform of the sector, and CHA reiterated its call for the reestablishment of an independent national workforce planning body, akin to Health Workforce Australia.