The Australian Medical Association has welcomed the record health spend in the NSW budget but criticised the federal government for playing a "game of chicken" with funding.
NSW branch president Saxon Smith is worried about what will happen in June 2017 when cuts to health spending flagged by the federal government kick in.
Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian announced a record $21 billion health spend in Tuesday's budget, pledging to add about 1000 new doctors and nurses and pour $1.4 billion into building and upgrading the state's hospitals.
Dr Smith praised the NSW government for keeping pace with health commitments but cautioned that the cut off date for a big slice of federal funding was nearing.
"The drop in services this will equate to will be the same as closing five-and-a-half hospitals the size of Westmead over the next few years," he said.
He criticised the federal government for playing a "game of chicken" with the health of Australians.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the health budget will include $325 million to pay for an extra 90,000 emergency department treatments, 40,000 extra hospital admissions and 3100 additional elective surgeries.
The budget also includes $1.7 billion to provide services for the mentally ill - an increase of 6.7 per cent on last year - and $12 million over four years to support medical marijuana research.
Share
