Subject: Funding reversal
Good Afternoon All
Following on from Eskleigh's email yesterday, Jacquie Petrusma MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services asked the following question of The Honourable Cassy O’Connor, Minister for Human Services in Parliament today“Minister, just over a month ago, on 8 February 2011, your Department indicated in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh Home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11.
Is it a fact that you have now reneged on that written commitment which places this home - the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania - in significant financial difficulty?
Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services?
Are you aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the LGH awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?”
According to Sandy Wittison, Senior Advisor the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister seemed unaware of the matter, however I emailed her office on Tuesday and provided it with detailed information regarding the Departments funding reversal.
The Liberals press release is as follows:
“O’Connor puts disability home at risk
The Human Services Minister Cassy O’Connor clearly demonstrated in Parliament today that she does not have a proper handle on her Department and has broken a clear promise to a key disability provider.
On 8 February 2011, the Department promised in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the 42-bed Eskleigh disability home in Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit for the 2010-11 financial year. It is the only nursing facility in Tasmania for younger people.
Without this money, Eskleigh will have to slash services and patients who should be at the home will have to stay in hospital, causing further bed block at the Launceston General Hospital.
The written commitment from Ms O’Connor’s Department stated:
“As discussed, Disability and Community Services is recommending the funding of the $384,000 projected deficit for the Eskleigh home for 2010/11.”
However, precisely a month later, Eskleigh was told that no funds were available to satisfy the $384,000 claim, and the Department could only provide additional funding of $261,000.
This will leave the Eskleigh home with a deficit of $109,000 for the financial year, and the Board cannot to continue absorbing deficits in this way.
Leaving the patients who should be at Eskleigh in hospital instead will come at a significant cost to the Tasmanian community. It costs $1500 a day for each of those patients to stay in a hospital bed, at a total cost of $550,000 per year.
In comparison, a bed at Eskleigh for the same patient is estimated at $100,000 per year.
In Parliament today, Ms O’Connor had no idea about her Department reneging on its written commitment, and offered no views on the additional cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of leaving patients at the LGH.
It seems Ms O’Connor is not just a Member for Denison, but only a Minister for Denison too. “
In the mean time I have advised the Gateway that Eskleigh will not be filling the current vacancies at Eskleigh Home and I have also advised HACSU that due to funding reversal negotiations in relation to the Enterprise Agreement have been suspended
Regards
Dale Luttrell
Chief Executive Officer
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
Good Afternoon All
Following on from Eskleigh's email yesterday, Jacquie Petrusma MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services asked the following question of The Honourable Cassy O’Connor, Minister for Human Services in Parliament today“Minister, just over a month ago, on 8 February 2011, your Department indicated in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh Home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11.
Is it a fact that you have now reneged on that written commitment which places this home - the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania - in significant financial difficulty?
Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services?
Are you aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the LGH awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?”
According to Sandy Wittison, Senior Advisor the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister seemed unaware of the matter, however I emailed her office on Tuesday and provided it with detailed information regarding the Departments funding reversal.
The Liberals press release is as follows:
“O’Connor puts disability home at risk
The Human Services Minister Cassy O’Connor clearly demonstrated in Parliament today that she does not have a proper handle on her Department and has broken a clear promise to a key disability provider.
On 8 February 2011, the Department promised in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the 42-bed Eskleigh disability home in Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit for the 2010-11 financial year. It is the only nursing facility in Tasmania for younger people.
Without this money, Eskleigh will have to slash services and patients who should be at the home will have to stay in hospital, causing further bed block at the Launceston General Hospital.
The written commitment from Ms O’Connor’s Department stated:
“As discussed, Disability and Community Services is recommending the funding of the $384,000 projected deficit for the Eskleigh home for 2010/11.”
However, precisely a month later, Eskleigh was told that no funds were available to satisfy the $384,000 claim, and the Department could only provide additional funding of $261,000.
This will leave the Eskleigh home with a deficit of $109,000 for the financial year, and the Board cannot to continue absorbing deficits in this way.
Leaving the patients who should be at Eskleigh in hospital instead will come at a significant cost to the Tasmanian community. It costs $1500 a day for each of those patients to stay in a hospital bed, at a total cost of $550,000 per year.
In comparison, a bed at Eskleigh for the same patient is estimated at $100,000 per year.
In Parliament today, Ms O’Connor had no idea about her Department reneging on its written commitment, and offered no views on the additional cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of leaving patients at the LGH.
It seems Ms O’Connor is not just a Member for Denison, but only a Minister for Denison too. “
In the mean time I have advised the Gateway that Eskleigh will not be filling the current vacancies at Eskleigh Home and I have also advised HACSU that due to funding reversal negotiations in relation to the Enterprise Agreement have been suspended
Regards
Dale Luttrell
Chief Executive Officer
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
1 comment:
Wow, never thought I would start considering changing my next vote from Green to Liberal at the next opportunity, but why not when the Libs can finally come out with such sensible caring comments?
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