SYDNEY, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The health system in Australia's most populous state is at risk of being overwhelmed by an aging population, a landmark 18-month inquiry has found.
The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Friday released the final report from the Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding.
Led by Commissioner Richard Beasley, the inquiry found that the level of funding provided to NSW hospitals is "inadequate" to deliver the service expected by the public.
"If NSW Health remains funded and resourced, in the main, as a reactive system that treats acutely unwell people in public hospitals, there is a substantial risk that it will soon be overwhelmed by what looms as a huge increase in healthcare demands by an aging population with high expectations," the report said.
The inquiry, which began in November 2023 and heard testimony from hundreds of patients, healthcare providers and policy experts, made 41 recommendations for reform across 12 priority areas, including the need for preventative healthcare, the health workforce and innovation.
It said that the "central problem" facing the system was fragmented funding between the state and federal governments and that the system would remain "underfunded and stretched" without an increase in federal funding.
Healthcare funding in Australia is a shared responsibility between the federal and state and territory governments.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian governments spent 178.7 billion Australian dollars (114.5 billion U.S. dollars) on health goods and services in 2022-23, 101.5 billion Australian dollars (65 billion U.S. dollars) of which were contributed by the federal government.
The inquiry said that it is "beyond a doubt" that there has been a "substantial decline" in the services covered by Medicare, Australia's universal public healthcare system, which is entirely funded by the federal government.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said in a statement that the government would carefully consider the 41 recommendations. ■
