Federal Budget 2024

HSU WELCOMES FEDERAL BUDGET FOR HEALTH AND CARE ECONOMY, MORE NEEDED FOR HEALTH WORKFORCE.

The Health Services Union (HSU) commends the Albanese Labor Government’s third Budget, which lists strengthening Medicare and the care and support economy as a top priority.

We welcome Minister Shorten’s announcement of $129.8 million over two years to progress the recommendations of the NDIS Review and welcome the government’s commitment to ensuring State Governments contribute their fair share to NDIS expenditure. More staff, better IT and an evidence advisory committee will help regulators ensure the integrity of the scheme and stamp out rorts and rip offs.

The $5.3 million to develop a new independent pricing and funding model follows years of advocacy by HSU members and will help ensure NDIS funding reflects the true cost of service delivery. As the union for disability support workers, we will keep fighting to ensure a well-skilled and well-supported workforce is at the heart of our NDIS.

We welcome the Budget’s focus on reproductive health, setting aside $895.6m is set aside for gynaecology consultations and medical imaging.

The Budget importantly values mental health, investing $888.1m over eight years to fund free-of-charge mental health sessions available over the phone, 61 mental health Medicare clinics, and primary health networks to commission psychologists, social workers and counsellors, and give peer workers professional recognition.

However, much more must be done to support frontline and allied health workers who are critical to our health system. The Budget provides little to enhance the working conditions of direct care and support workers beyond what the HSU already won in the Aged Care Work Value Case, and desperately needed funding to build the skills of our disability workforce is noticeably missing from this year’s Budget.

Quotes attributable to HSU National Secretary Lloyd Williams

“The Albanese Government has shown in the Budget that it understands that social wellbeing starts and ends with health, care, and support services. It is getting the NDIS back on track, changing aged care, boosting preventative health, and providing cost of living relief to thousands of Australians.”

“As the Government embarks on further reform of our aged care sector, it must ensure frontline workers are front and centre of policy change.”

“A well-funded, collaborative health system makes a world of difference in people’s lives. But the funding must reach the workers providing that care – support their training, wages, and livelihoods.”

“HSU members have been front and centre, calling for change, and in this Budget the Albanese Government is demonstrating that it is listening to working people.”

ENDS

Learn more about the Federal Budget here.