Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has flagged concerns the Labor State Government plans to amalgamate all Gippsland hospitals under one chief executive and board, likely to be located in the Latrobe Valley.

“The Minister has already undertaken this process in the western districts of Victoria where a number of health services have been merged under the ‘Grampians Health’ banner, run out of Ballarat – and that hasn’t gone well for the smaller communities,” he said.

“I am aware there has already been discussions with representatives of Bairnsdale, Orbost and Omeo hospitals, and it is of great concern to me this is going to be implemented with little wider community knowledge or feedback.

“Highlighting this, is that when asked in the recent Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings, the Minister and Health Department Secretary said government has received a report into the organisation of Victoria’s 76 health services, but will not release it,” Mr Bull said.

When asked, the Secretary failed to rule out that the report contains recommendations to forcibly amalgamate Victorian health services. Further, Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, flagged a sweeping restructure to health services and their financing over the coming financial year.

Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier, said “Labor cannot manage money, cannot manage our health system and Victorians are paying the price”.

“Labor continues to hide its secret plan to cut, close and amalgamate health services across the state. Their priorities are all wrong. The Allan Labor Government can find the money for a $216 billion train line but cannot afford to keep hospitals open and running across the state,” she said.

Mr Bull said he was concerned if we lost our local hospital CEOs and boards that represent their communities, we would lose local input into the health services.

“What they have set up on the other side of the state is local advisory boards, but they have no teeth and can only give advice that is easily dismissed.

“Reports indicate that specialist visits have, in many cases, been centralised to Ballarat at the expense of hospitals like Edenhope and Horsham. Other hospital services have been centralised with loss of local jobs and staff morale has plummeted.

Wednesday, 5 June 2024

“We don’t need any more job losses in our towns after what Labor has done to the timber industry. The Government should be investing more in health and supporting communities.

“It is time the Minister came clean on the content of the report and the options she is considering,” he said.