Labor's Bill Shorten has described the case of a Canberra NDIS participant stuck in hospital for more than six months as a scandal and an "abuse", as he vowed to fix the problem if Anthony Albanese wins the election.
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The Canberra Times on Thursday reported on the case of Kambah man David Harkness, who has been stuck in hospital since his leg was amputated last year.
Mr Harkness cannot be discharged until the National Disability Insurance Agency signs off on funding for home modifications, including a ramp at the entrance to his house.
The agency received documents relating to the request in January, but wouldn't approve because it needed further information.
There were more than 1000 people in Mr Harkness' situation across Australia as of last October, creating a problem which is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and clogging up hospitals with patients who have no medical reason to be there.
Speaking in Canberra on Thursday afternoon, Mr Shorten, who is Labor's NDIS spokesman, laid blame for Mr Harkness' predicament at the feet of the federal government.
"This is a scandal. It is an abuse," Mr Shorten said.
"The federal government set up a royal commission to investigate abuses about people with a disability.
"They need to investigate themselves for their incompetence and shoddy management of the National Disability Insurance Scheme."
The Morrison government has previously admitted there was more work to be done to speed up hospital discharge rates for NDIS participant.
But it has argued the problem was complex and said the states and territories had a role to play, including through the provision of social housing.
Mr Shorten, who this week unveiled Labor's vision to return the NDIS to its "original objective", said an Albanese government would work with the states and territories to identify patients ready for release, then conduct a "blitz" to move them all into suitable accommodation.
Mr Shorten wouldn't commit to a target for the maximum length of a hospital stay, such as 30 or 60 days for a participant who was medically cleared to leave.
"But I'll tell you what, David and 1000s of people like him and their families will all be better off under Labor," he said.
"It is a scandal that Australia's hospital beds aren't eligible for sick people because people with disabilities, who should be treated in their own homes and given support elsewhere, are not getting the support they deserve because of the federal government incompetence."
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
