Tarneit electorate
Ms CONNOLLY (Tarneit) (14:44): (6337) My question is for the Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services. There is no doubt that among the impacts that the COVID pandemic has had on our health system, elective surgery has been hard hit. However, our government is not one to sit by idly, which is why a few weeks ago we announced a $1.5 billion funding boost to elective surgeries. The aim of this is not only to restore elective surgery to pre-COVID levels but to actually surpass them by 25 per cent. Central to this plan is the establishment of seven metropolitan rapid access hubs over the state over the next year, including one at Werribee Mercy Hospital in my community of Wyndham. Operations such as hip replacements, cataract extractions and ligament repairs are extremely common and also very important surgeries that are carried out every day and are things that a lot of people in our community have been waiting for. My question for the minister is this: what does this funding boost mean for those in my community who need to undergo surgery, and how will this help them?