Regional Victoria’s healthcare crisis looks set to continue after last week’s Victorian State Budget revealed more cuts and a lack of funding support for local providers.
Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland, who is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health, expressed concern over Labor’s potential cuts to regional health services, saying that our health providers need support now more than ever.
“$207 million has been cut from Public Health in this budget, on top of millions cut from dental services, aged care, ambulance services, health workforce training, and maternal and child health,” Ms Cleeland said.
“These cuts are coming at a time when our healthcare providers can least afford it, with significantly delayed ambulance response times, out of control GP and surgery wait lists, exorbitant health taxes, and a general lack of resourcing.
“This is a real-world consequence of Labor’s mismanagement of our health system.
“Years of waste, mismanagement, and underinvestment in our health services under Labor have meant too many Victorians suffer tragic health outcomes.”
With hospitals continuing to amalgamate across the region, Ms Cleeland says it will only be a matter of time before we start seeing service and staffing cuts.
“Hospitals across the region have already reached out to me saying they are concerned about potential cuts to their funding in this budget,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We’re seeing forced amalgamations across our regional areas, and many of our regional hospitals have stated they are already being told to cut services and staff, despite operating with healthy reserves.
“Our regional hospitals have not been given a chance to succeed, with Labor consistently cutting their funding to compensate for their own financial mismanagement.
The Nationals and The Liberal Party this week announced that they will abolish Labor’s regressive health tax if elected at the next election.
“Labor’s Health Tax will close local health clinics, end bulk-billing, and force even more patients into Victoria’s already struggling emergency departments,” Ms Cleeland said.
“It is a result of a decade of financial mismanagement in Victoria under Labor Governments, with record debt, record taxes, and cruel cuts to services.
“This is a regressive tax that will close healthcare clinics and hurt patients who can least afford it.”
