Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Ambulance services

Ms RYAN (Euroa) (14:14): My question is for the Premier. On 12 May, 15-month-old Lawson Walter suffered a seizure at home in Girgarre. His parents were forced to drive him to Kyabram hospital as they dialled 000, which rang out three times. At Kyabram hospital Lawson stopped breathing and was turning grey, so they also rang for an ambulance to transfer him immediately to Shepparton. After 30 minutes an ambulance arrived. Lawson stopped breathing four more times before reaching Shepparton hospital. Lawson’s family or the hospital rang 000 seven times before an ambulance was able to attend. Is this an example of the world-class healthcare system the Premier says country Victorians currently have?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:15): I thank the member for Euroa for her question. If the member for Euroa provides to me the details of that case, I will ask Ambulance Victoria as well as the health department and any relevant local health services to respond to both me and any family members who have not been contacted—they may well have been—and indeed to furnish a response to the member for Euroa. And I do hope that the details are provided to me. After yesterday’s question time I returned to my office and indicated that there might well be some further matters that would be forwarded to me and I would like urgent attention to be provided to those, having given a commitment to the member for Rowville about a matter that he had raised. I was then informed that of about 50 cases that have been raised with the government in this place and the other place, I think less than 10 of those matters have actually been referred to the government.

So I would ask the member for Euroa: with the greatest of respect, I will provide you with a full, comprehensive and detailed answer, but I would like you to—I do not think it is too much to ask—please provide us with the details, and we will follow that up if there is anything we can do for that family, who have been through a lot. I apologise if there has been distress—of course there has been distress caused to that family—but please provide the details. If the cases are good enough to raise, then surely, if it is not about the politics and it is about the patient, let us all work together and get the best response we can for that family and for that patient. If you provide the information, I will give you my commitment that the department, my office, the minister’s office and indeed the health service will do everything they can to respond to that case and any other case you raise, including the 40-odd that you have not provided to anybody in the government.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Brighton is warned.

Ms RYAN (Euroa) (14:17): Premier, I am raising it in Parliament to do exactly that, which is what I thought Parliament was actually for. This is just another example of a health system in crisis under the Premier’s watch.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Oakleigh is warned.

Ms RYAN: This situation is totally unacceptable. Does the Premier have any intention of saying sorry to Lawson; his parents, Tamika and Ashley; and the traumatised health staff for the system failures that have allowed a situation like this to occur?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:18): Again, with the greatest of respect to the member for Euroa, she must not have been listening to my first answer. I in fact did offer an apology to that family, to that young patient, and in terms of staff—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: I have just offered an apology—that is twice, three times I think now—to that family. Of course—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Well, I am being questioned about whether I have apologised by this lot over here. The record will be very clear: I have, and I am absolutely sincere in saying that no-one wants to see that occurrence, that stress and anxiety, that difficulty for any Victorian family. In terms of staff, the best thing you can do with staff is to support them with the funding and the resources they need. That is what we have done every budget, every year. It is what we will do if we are honoured to deliver the next budget. The same cannot be said of those who cut every time they get the chance.