BRISBANE—NSW will receive almost a third of the $150 million in federal government funding to cut elective surgery waiting lists.
Treasurer Wayne Swan today announced NSW would receive $43.3 million of the package promised during the federal election.
Victoria is to get $34.2 million, with $27.6 million going to Queensland.
Other allocations include Western Australia ($15.4 million), South Australia ($13.6 million), Tasmania ($8.1 million), the ACT ($2.5 million) and Northern Territory ($5.3 million).
The funding is expected to allow for an additional 25,000 procedures to be undertaken across the country in 2008 - more than 8,000 of which will be undertaken in NSW.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with health ministers and treasurers in Brisbane, Mr Swan today praised the cooperation of the states and territories.
"I think those thousands of people out there on elective surgery waiting lists will certainly welcome this new era of cooperation in reducing these waiting lists by 25,000," Mr Swan said.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said population played a key role in the allocation of the funding.
"You will notice that it is not strictly done on a population basis but we have tried to take careful account of population," she said.
She said negotiations for the second stage of the elective surgery funding process - which will focus on capital works - will take into account today's allocations.
"I am sure that some state and territory ministers will be pleased to hear me say that because, of course, we still have a negotiation process to go through," she said. NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher said the amount of funding allocated to her state was a win for NSW taxpayers.
"I am pleased to say that we have had a very good hearing from the commonwealth and the money that we have been awarded today will go towards ensuring that we can maintain the advances we have made," she said.
"Today has been a great day and I think it is one that the taxpayers of NSW will be very happy to see."
Ms Roxon said federal government intervention in state and territory health systems would not be necessary if negotiations with the federal government continued as they began today.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said during the election campaign his government would take financial control of underperforming public hospitals.
"If we can continue to have fruitful negotiations and cooperative performance from the states and territories we won't go down that path," Ms Roxon said.
"We've always said that our interest in taking over financial control of hospitals was only if we were not able to achieve outcomes through a cooperative negotiation process.
"And I'm very confident, if today is any sign, that we will be able to work well for the benefit of all of the country."
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