THE state government is not amalgamating local hospitals, and a government spokesperson says any suggestion it was is “simply scaremongering”.
Gippsland East MLA Tim Bull recently said there was “a plan to syphon key elements of Bairnsdale Regional Health Service funding through Latrobe Regional Hospital”.
“The state has announced what it is terming a ‘formal partnership approach’ between Bairnsdale and Latrobe, and last year directed Bairnsdale’s elective surgery catch-up funding and Better At Home program funding be allocated to Latrobe for distribution,” Mr Bull claimed.
He said the government’s Regional Area Health Partnerships plan would result in health services at Geelong, Ballarat, Traralgon, Albury Wodonga, Shepparton and Bendigo appointed as lead organisations above smaller hospitals.
There were fears this would result in Sale’s Central Gippsland Health and Yarram Hospital also coming under Latrobe.
“What I am seeking from the government is that this is not a precedent for more of our local health funding to be put through Latrobe and distributed at their determination, or for any changes to board structures or weakening of our local Bairnsdale Regional Health Service governance,” Mr Bull said.
He said he’d had discussions Bairnsdale Regional Health Service leadership and it too was “seeking some guarantees and certainty around governance and future funding arrangements”.
Mr Bull said that while it was clear hospital amalgamations were being pursued in the western part of the state, he would write to the Health Minister seeking assurances that local health services would remain just that – local.
But a state government spokesperson has rejected any suggestion of amalgamation of local hospitals.
“Providing safe and quality healthcare close to home is our priority and we will not be dictated by those engaging in political point-scoring,” the spokesperson said.
“Our hospitals and health services have a strong history – well before the coronavirus pandemic – of working together to provide better healthcare for local communities, with more specialists and care services and more jobs for local communities.
“When the Andrews Labor Government was elected it established the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund – the largest of its kind in Victorian history – to help rebuild our country health services after four years of neglect by the Liberal-Nationals.”
However, there is provision for voluntary amalgamations.
Under the Health Services Act, health services may choose to voluntarily enter into partnerships.
The state government says this “health service-driven process” must include extensive consultation with staff and the community and thorough investigation of the potential benefits – with no reduction in services.
It says any proposal for voluntary amalgamation must be agreed between boards and submitted to the Department of Health for Secretary review and subsequent approval by the Minister for Health.
The state government maintains if health services choose to voluntarily enter into a partnership, it can lead to better services for local communities, improve access to specialists, allow patients to complete their recovery after surgery closer to home and ensure staff are better supported and facilities are better utilised.
Mr Bull said he was “all for partnerships that bring benefits to our region”.
“But when we start to see our local hospital funding streams being put through our larger regional hospital and issued at their agreement and discretion, it brings forth some concerns that warrant explanation,” he said.
Mr Bull said the COVID pandemic showed that centralised health systems were not effective and that “local people need to be able to deliver local solutions for better local health outcomes”.
Shadow Health Minister Peter Walsh is also calling for the state government to review its Regional Area Health Partnerships plan.
Mr Walsh said tragedies such as the death of a woman in her 30s in Melbourne after waiting more than six hours for an ambulance to arrive showed the health system was already in crisis.
“This comes after recent reports of patients with heart attack symptoms and spinal injuries being forced to wait in ambulances outside hospitals for as long as five hours,” he said.
Mr Walsh said the ambulance system was under such pressure that taxis were being ordered to take people to emergency departments.
“Add to it the context of Victoria’s ballooning health waitlists for surgery and dental, particularly in regional Victoria, and it’s clear our healthcare system is a system in chaos,” he said.
“Now, the Andrews Labor Government is pushing ahead with a regional hospital amalgamation plan that will only make things worse.”
Mr Walsh maintained the state government did have plans to give larger hospitals such as Traralgon’s Latrobe Regional Hospital a leading role over smaller hospitals in regional centres across Victoria.
He said it would be like “stripping out the ‘local’ element and effectively merging regional hospitals”, compromising health services and patient outcomes.
The Nationals have launched a petition at handsoffourhospitals.com.au.
