Leaders 'fail to debate aged care solutions'

Aged care providers are disappointed Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott didn't put forward more detailed aged care proposals during Tuesday's leaders' debate.

During the showdown the prime minister said one of the keys to unlocking hospital beds was to make sure there were sufficient aged care places.

"What we've got a real problem with is to make sure we've got enough transitional care beds for that to happen," Mr Rudd told the National Press Club in Canberra.

Prior to the 2007 election some 2400 people were occupying hospital beds when they could have been in aged care facilities, he said. "We've brought funding to try and fill that gap.

"Five hundred of those beds are already done (and) we've got another 1500 to do."

Catholic Health Australia chief executive Martin Laverty says he was disappointed "at the lack of detail" regarding the aged care policies of both parties.

"The government should immediately release the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission inquiry into aged care and outline the government's blueprint to provide for access, choice and sustainability in aged care," he said in a statement.

The Campaign for the Care of Older Australians - comprising 11 providers - argues that aged care is about more than helping 2000 seniors leave hospital.

"While Mr Rudd said he wanted to take full responsibility for primary and aged care services, his most detailed reference (on Tuesday) concerned only transition care," the campaign said in a statement. Australian National University academic Robert Wells believes the leaders' debate lacked substance.

"It's becoming clearer that both sides of politics are heading towards the same hospitals focus for health policy in this election year," the Menzies Centre for Health Policy director said in a statement.

"But there are still big questions to be answered about primary health care and aged care."