The Federal Government says the Opposition's plan for community health boards in some public hospitals will not fix the chronic problems with the health system.
Today Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that if he wins the next election he will install local management boards at major public hospitals in New South Wales and Queensland.
Mr Abbott says local management boards would increase accountability and deliver better services for patients.
But Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the Opposition's plan does nothing to address workforce or funding shortages.
"This is not a solution, this is just an idea from a former health minister who had 12 years in government [and] never took such action, and has come up with a half-baked policy on the run," she said.
"He is pretending that this a comprehensive and well thought out plan when it is anything but."
Ms Roxon says the idea would only cover two states.
"It's not national, it doesn't eliminate waste, and it doesn't fund a single extra doctor or nurse or hospital bed," she said.
"Ultimately his idea takes no pressure off our hospitals and has no fix for cost-shifting."
Meanwhile, Queensland's Health Minister says creating community-controlled boards for the state's public hospitals is not necessary.
Paul Lucas says people do not see community boards as a solution to problems in hospitals.
"What we need in our health system is more money and more coordination with Canberra, not local hospital boards that might be run by the local businesspeople - the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker," he said.
"We are talking about complex health systems."
But a leading Sydney doctor has welcomed the Opposition's hospitals policy.
Dr John Graham, chairman of the Department of Medicine at Sydney Hospital, says it is the first sensible thing that has been said about hospitals in 25 years.
"You immediately get improved productivity and efficiency because you get communication, cooperation, you get very speedy resolution of problems, you get increased morale, you get increased loyalty and you bring your local community onside and that gives you an increased number of volunteers and also funding," he said.
The Federal Government is yet to release the plan for major hospital reform that it promised at the last election.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it has taken longer to develop than originally thought.
But Mr Abbott says there is no excuse for Mr Rudd failing to meet his election promise.
"The fact is that Kevin Rudd promised to fix the public hospital systems and he hasn't," he said.
Ms Roxon will not say when the Government will release the plans it has been working on for two years.
"But they will be national, they will be strategic, they will be comprehensive. Mr Abbott has done none of those things," she said.
Mr Abbott says he will announce more on the Opposition's hospital plan later this year.
Today Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that if he wins the next election he will install local management boards at major public hospitals in New South Wales and Queensland.
Mr Abbott says local management boards would increase accountability and deliver better services for patients.
But Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the Opposition's plan does nothing to address workforce or funding shortages.
"This is not a solution, this is just an idea from a former health minister who had 12 years in government [and] never took such action, and has come up with a half-baked policy on the run," she said.
"He is pretending that this a comprehensive and well thought out plan when it is anything but."
Ms Roxon says the idea would only cover two states.
"It's not national, it doesn't eliminate waste, and it doesn't fund a single extra doctor or nurse or hospital bed," she said.
"Ultimately his idea takes no pressure off our hospitals and has no fix for cost-shifting."
Meanwhile, Queensland's Health Minister says creating community-controlled boards for the state's public hospitals is not necessary.
Paul Lucas says people do not see community boards as a solution to problems in hospitals.
"What we need in our health system is more money and more coordination with Canberra, not local hospital boards that might be run by the local businesspeople - the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker," he said.
"We are talking about complex health systems."
But a leading Sydney doctor has welcomed the Opposition's hospitals policy.
Dr John Graham, chairman of the Department of Medicine at Sydney Hospital, says it is the first sensible thing that has been said about hospitals in 25 years.
"You immediately get improved productivity and efficiency because you get communication, cooperation, you get very speedy resolution of problems, you get increased morale, you get increased loyalty and you bring your local community onside and that gives you an increased number of volunteers and also funding," he said.
The Federal Government is yet to release the plan for major hospital reform that it promised at the last election.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it has taken longer to develop than originally thought.
But Mr Abbott says there is no excuse for Mr Rudd failing to meet his election promise.
"The fact is that Kevin Rudd promised to fix the public hospital systems and he hasn't," he said.
Ms Roxon will not say when the Government will release the plans it has been working on for two years.
"But they will be national, they will be strategic, they will be comprehensive. Mr Abbott has done none of those things," she said.
Mr Abbott says he will announce more on the Opposition's hospital plan later this year.
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