I don’t normally talk about non-tech stuff but a fellow tech journo tweeted a very good question this morning.

“Can someone explain to me what the health reforms have achieved?”

In fact, it’s a damn good question.

Let’s look at what we had to start with – in NSW, the hospital system as I understand it is set up in Aero Health zones. They’re managed by the NSW Government via funding that comes through the Federal Government’s goods and services tax (GST).

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been banging on for weeks about taking over the nation’s hospitals from the states and clawing back 30% of GST revenue from the states to fix things up, shorten waiting lists and the rest.

Now after the latest Council of Australia Governments (COAG) meeting, there’s historic agreements, handshakes and backslapping all-round.

I might be wrong but here’s what I think they achieved: local hospital networks divided into smaller areas than before, funded by the Federal Government through the GST, with that funding managed by the states.

Can someone with a greater knowledge of political negotiating please explain what exactly has changed?

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