Sandringham Hospital
Mr ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (12:38): The Andrews government’s lack of support for our Sandringham Hospital is deeply concerning to me and to my community. In March 2016 the then Labor Minister for Health threatened to slash the hospital’s 24-hour emergency department to just 12 hours a day. After a three-month community-led campaign, this decision was reversed, but the threat should never have been there in the first place. In December 2019 this Labor government allowed eight beds to be cut from the hospital, closed an entire ward and forced five full-time nursing staff to move to other wards or other hospitals. By contrast, in 2016 the Liberals promised to keep the emergency department open at Sandy hospital 24/7, something which I recommitted to in 2018. In 2018 I also pledged to upgrade the outpatient clinic at the hospital. Since being elected as part of the Sandringham district budget submission, I have asked year on year for major infrastructure funding for our community hospital, but every year, every budget, this government ignores that request.
At every step of the way through the hospital’s history my community has backed Sandy hospital, whether it be through the 24-hour charity bike ride, the annual Lunch by the Bay, the charity golf day or other fundraising works with the Sandringham community bank, Black Rock Sports Club or Beaumaris Rotary. I will not stop fighting until our Sandringham Hospital, the caring heart of my community, receives the major infrastructure dollars it needs to continue serving our community with renewed vigour and purpose for generations to come.