LETTERS: Heath Minister writes to us
Sir,
I want to be frank with readers in your community.
Our government will not force the merger of any health service in Victoria, and we will not make cuts to frontline staff.
We are getting on with expanding access to the frontline care that all Victorians deserve.
The time has come to call out Brad Battin and his Liberal Nationals Coalition Cuts Squad for who they really are. Fearmongers.
Their modus operandi is simple – scare their community and lie to make it happen. It is disappointing to see that their purposely inaccurate claims we are rolling out “mergers by stealth” has caused distress for many Victorians.
Regional Victorians deserve to know they cannot trust the Liberal National Party.
Under their watch, regional hospitals in every corner of Victoria were closed, including Eildon, Koroit, Mortlake, Murtoa, Red Cliffs, Macarthur, Clunes, Beeac, Birregurra, Lismore, Elmore and Wangaratta. They also privatised hospitals in Traralgon and Mildura.
In stark contrast, we are working hard to expand access to healthcare, particularly for regional and rural Victoria through our Local Health Service Networks.
Being linked through a network will help to ensure stronger referral pathways between all our health services – freeing up beds in our busier hospitals and ensuring Victorians can get care sooner and closer to home, while also taking pressure off our dedicated workforce.
For example, if a patient has surgery in a larger regional hospital, but there’s room for them to recover at a smaller rural service closer to their home and loved ones, being linked through a network will help achieve this.
It is that simple.
The Allan Labor Government is putting patients first, delivering Victorians the highest quality, connected health system – one that ensures patients get the care they need, sooner, and in their own communities.
This does not involve forced amalgamations.
Mary-Anne Thomas,
Minister for Health