Acute beds for the elderly halve over 30 years
The AMA is calling on the Federal Government to increase public hospital capacity and funding for GPs
The number of beds available for the over 65s in Australia’s public hospitals has halved in the past 30 years, the AMA is warning.
The body is calling for a rethink on funding for hospitals which it says are in “crisis” and increased investment in GP care to help keep patients out of hospital.
In a report published on Monday, the AMA says there were fewer than 15 beds available for every 1000 people aged 65 and over in 2019-20.
This is down from 30 per 1000 in 1992-93.
