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Will health ministers act on proposals to solve health workforce challenges?

Allowing non-government health care services to play a greater role in the training of tomorrow's doctors, nurses and allied health professionals would go a long way to solving health workforce problems, Catholic Health Australia CEO Martin Laverty told a national summit hosted by New South Wales Health Minister Jillian Skinner to examine the recent medical internship shortage.

Mr Laverty said the shortage of intern places for last year's record number of medical graduates grabbed headlines, and had various health officials scrambling for answers – answers that Catholic facilities can offer.

Single health funder would end Commonwealth-state blame game

Catholic Health Australia has told a Senate Inquiry looking into public hospital funding that the cost-shifting and blame-shifting inherent in a split funding model between the Commonwealth and states and territories can only be solved by making the Commonwealth Government the sole funder of publicly funded health services.

CHA chief executive officer Martin Laverty addressed the Senate Inquiry into implementation of the National Health Reform Agreement this morning – just hours after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the Government would reinstate $107 million of funding that was set to be taken out of the Victorian public hospitals budget.

Australia Day honour fitting for former CHA chair’s service, leadership

Catholic Health Australia Stewardship Board chair Rowena McNally has paid tribute to her predecessor, saying Tony Wheeler's inclusion on today's Australia Day honours list is deserving recognition for his many years of service and leadership in Catholic health and aged care.

Mr Wheeler, who lives in Busselton, WA, was today honoured with the Order of Australia Medal for services to the community through health and Church organisations. That includes five years as chair of Catholic Health Australia's board.

Palliative care uncertainty must not continue

People in need of palliative care should be able to think about how they can spend their final days in as much comfort as they can, receiving the best treatment possible and surrounded by those they love. They shouldn't have to worry about whether they will be able to receive the end-of-life care they deserve because there might be no money to fund it.

That's the call from Catholic Health Australia as palliative care providers around the country prepare for the cessation of funding that has seen marked improvements in the quality of, and access to, end-of-life care.

Government risks over-reach on aged care accommodation payments

Today's decision by Minister for Ageing Mark Butler to set accommodation prices for some residential aged care services might increase red tape for people entering aged care homes.

Minister Butler today announced changes to accommodation payments for those in residential aged care, creating a new government approvals process for setting prices in aged care and a new complaints process for consumers worried about costs of accommodation. He also announced the details of additional funding for the refurbishing of existing aged care homes.