Australia's House of Reps c'tee calls for national approach to health funding

An Australian House of Representatives committee has called for a national "health agenda," and an end to the blame game between the states and the Commonwealth. The Standing Committee on Health and Aging's report states that a national approach is needed to overcome problems in health funding and administration.

The report says there is a need for the roles and responsibilities of each level of government to be clarified. Several of the committee's recommendations call for an overhaul of the Commonwealth's funding agreement for public hospitals, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Other recommendations include a call for Australia to develop a plan to train all its own health professionals by 2021 and for the Commonwealth to give more to the states for public dental services.