Concerned residents of the Shepparton District attended a community meeting on Wednesday July 24 to discuss the impact budget cuts and proposed hospital mergers are set to have on their local health services.
The event, hosted by The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District Kim O’Keeffe with the Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy, aimed to provide community members with more information about the impact of the budget cuts and mergers and ensure that local voices were being heard.
“I feel it is incredibly important to ensure our community is kept informed on the impact of hospital budget cuts and mergers and for us to hear their experiences,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.
“I am gravely concerned about the health and wellbeing of our exhausted workforce and the impact on patient care, and I have raised my concerns in Parliament with the health minister.”
“The staff at our local hospitals are working tirelessly to provide the best care possible but they are being impacted by Labor’s poor decisions.”
Ms Kealy said the Allan Labor Government is set to combine 76 health services across the state into just 12 larger hubs.
This follows significant funding cuts to healthcare in the most recent state budget, public health funding was cut by 33.8 per cent, and more than 20 health services being told their budgets would be cut by up to 30 per cent across the next financial year.
“Labor’s plans for vast amalgamations and slashing budgets are not the answer to fix health workforce issues, ambulance ramping and long wait times for surgery that Victorians are experiencing across the state,” Ms Kealy said
“It makes no sense for Labor to slash hospital budgets and force the hospitals into a position where they can’t employ new staff when they are already struggling to keep up with demand for care.”
Mrs O’Keeffe said it’s appalling that the Allan Labor Government have committed billions to city-centric projects like the Suburban rail loop.
“The government should be prioritising health. They have their priorities all wrong,” she said.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage Victoria’s health system, and our communities are paying the price.”
