The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has raised serious concerns over the Allan Labor Government’s Health Services Plan, which is set to merge hospitals across the region starting from July 1 this year.
Under this plan, smaller regional hospitals will be merged with larger hospitals to form centralised hubs—many of which are located hours away from the communities they’re meant to serve.
Speaking during the first sitting week of Parliament for 2025, Ms Cleeland, who is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, said these mergers have left many in her community worried about the future of their local hospitals.
“Like many health professionals, hospital staff, and patients, I fear for the survival of our smaller hospitals as they’re swallowed by a system that prioritises efficiency over accessibility,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Instead of empowering these hospitals, the government is introducing more red tape, stripping them of autonomy, and centralising decision-making far from the people who rely on them most.
“I’m deeply concerned that existing facilities will be stripped from smaller hospitals and funnelled into these larger hubs to make up for their resourcing shortfalls.”
Ms Cleeland expressed particular anxiety about how these changes would impact patients who rely on local services.
“This isn’t just a bureaucratic shuffle—it’s a direct threat to the healthcare access of thousands of people,” Ms Cleeland said.
“If these cuts happen, patients will be forced to travel even greater distances to access essential care. That’s not just inconvenient—it’s dangerous.”
To protect local health services, Ms Cleeland has taken proactive steps, writing to all hospital CEOs across the region requesting a guarantee that no health services will be cut as a result of the mergers.
“We only need to look at what happened with Grampians Health to see the writing on the wall.
“Services were cut, communities were left without the care they relied on, and decision making was dragged further from the people it impacts the most.
“Our regional towns simply cannot afford to lose the hospitals and services they rely on.
“I am calling on this government to do the right thing and guarantee these forced amalgamations won’t cost us essential local services.
“Regional Victorians deserve better, and I will fight to ensure they get it.”
