Health

The Greens (WA) believe that access to a comprehensive, high quality health care system is a basic human right, and that a public health system is the best way to deliver health services. Governments are responsible for ensuring that all people have access to the resources and opportunities essential for good health. Individual health outcomes are influenced by biological, social, economic and environment factors and these must be addressed as part of a comprehensive health care system. 

Goals

The Greens (WA) want: 

• a universal public health care system that ensures access and equity for all Western Australians
• universal access to publicly funded primary dental care
• a focus on primary care for health that addresses social determinants of health
• community participation in the planning and implementation of our health care system
• to close the gap in life expectancy and health outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people within a generation
• a greater focus on preventive health
• better planning to meet the health needs of an ageing population
• planning for increased pressures on the health system due to climate change, international food shortages and economic instability
• a skilled, well resourced, health sector workforce
• increased funding for services and education for the prevention, treatment and early detection of mental illness 

Initiatives 

The Greens (WA) will initiate and support legislation and actions that:

• review health priorities and funding allocation to ensure a focus on primary health care
• substantially increase the funding for prevention of illness, health promotion initiatives and early intervention
• establish primary health care centres with multidisciplinary teams
• review research priorities with a view to targeting research to need rather than commercial return
• improve the process of review and accountability in hospital care and medical practice
• increase training of Australian graduates, in order to provide more doctors, nurses and health care professionals
• provide improved career structure and conditions to retain nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health professionals in the public health system
• increase funding to mental health services (particularly for prevention), hospital and community based mental health support, and assessment and suicide prevention services
• ensure ongoing funding and support for HIV/AIDS prevention
• establish a holistic cancer control plan to provide timely and efficient access to all treatment modalities, especially radiotherapy and palliative care
• establish a multi-disciplinary group to investigate alternative therapies for safety and efficacy, and consider public funding for those therapies that are found to be safe and effective in order to give consumers more choice
• develop accreditation, in consultation with alternative therapy organisations, for non-mainstream practitioners to provide consumer choice, suitable standards and consumer safety
• implement the National Maternity Action Plan1 to ensure community-based midwifery is a choice for all women
• protect the rights of women to the ongoing provision of medical services for the prevention & termination of pregnancy
• provide equal access to gender and sexuality appropriate health services
• support everyone being registered for organ donation unless they choose to opt out

Aboriginal Health

• substantially increase funding for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander primary care for health, particularly for community controlled care
• ensure that all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people have easy access to affordable and culturally appropriate comprehensive primary care for health services
• make Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children's health funding a priority

Rural and Remote Health

• ensure adequate funding for health care services in rural and regional areas
• increase resources for the training of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health professionals
• review and implement effective measures to attract health professionals to rural and remote areas
• upgrade Royal Flying Doctor (RFDS) funding to reflect the 50% increased usage during the past 10 years and support the purchase of three new Pilatus PC12 aircraft.

Environmental Health

• establish a Health Impact Assessment process for all major planning and industrial developments to run parallel with the current Environmental Impact Assessment process
• provide preventative public health measures that will enhance environmental health quality in Western Australia
• adequately resource the Department of Health's Environmental Health Division
• medically and legally recognise diseases such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and other chemical injuries
• require hospitals to cater for the needs of MCS sufferers
• require environmental health education and training for the medical profession

Background
This policy necessarily focuses on the Western Australian health system. The Australian Greens national Health Policy addresses federal health issues. The Australian Greens' policy calls for the abolition of the private health insurance rebate and redirection of funds to the public health system, including public hospitals and an increase of incentives for GPs and medical specialists to bulk bill. It also calls for measures, including legislation, to protect and extend the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Glossary
1. National Maternity Action Plan (NMAP) - advocates policy and legislative changes so that a community-based midwifery program is the accepted model for birthing in Australia. The model suggested as a template is the Western Australian community midwifery program. www.maternitycoalition.org.au/nmap/nmap.html