Questions without notice and ministers statements
Health system
Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Minister for Health. Melissa is 42 and a single mum with two kids. Her health issue was raised in this Parliament directly on 5 April. She has come to Parliament today seeking answers. Melissa has severe arthritis in her jaw and to keep the pain under control she is on a range of prescription-only analgesics. She was placed on the waitlist as a category 2 patient in 2021 but soon after was informed the actual wait time would be four to five years. She is still in pain, is struggling to eat and continues to lose weight. She cannot work. She is deteriorating. I ask the minister: how is it fair that Melissa has now waited four to five years for surgery that should have been completed within 90 days?
Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:02): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Can I first take this opportunity to express my sympathy for Melissa and the situation that she finds herself in. What I would like to suggest is that my office would be very happy to follow up this case and we would be happy to inquire of the health service provider exactly what the circumstances are, so if you would like to provide that information, I am more than happy to do that.
But I do want to make this point. I have made it before, and I will make it again. Right now our health system here in Victoria is facing unprecedented challenges. I need to make this point. This is not just being experienced here in Victoria but right around the nation and indeed right around the world. The global pandemic has had an extraordinary impact on our healthcare services. Our government has recognised this. That is why we have a $12 billion pandemic repair plan in place, and I am focused on delivering that. Not only am I focused on delivering the pandemic repair plan, I am out there every day meeting with our healthcare workers, supporting them and understanding the pressures that they are under as they seek every single day to deliver the very best care to all Victorians. Again, I have said it before and I suspect it is something I may say many times: I am not a clinician, but my department can follow up with Melissa and get her a clinical review, if she is indeed with one of our public health services, to see whether she is still categorised appropriately, given the circumstances in which she finds herself. So that is what I undertake to do.
Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): I thank the minister for her answer. In response to Melissa’s case when it was originally raised in April the then health minister spruiked a COVID catch-up plan, which the hospital has since confirmed to Melissa would have no impact on her wait time. She cannot work, has lost her house and is struggling to support her two young children. Her current emergency accommodation is running out. As I said, she has been in the Parliament today. I ask the minister: how many of the almost 100 000 Victorians on the elective surgery waitlist will still have to wait in agony until 2026 at the earliest to receive the surgery they should have received within 90 days?
Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:05): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his supplementary question. Indeed he is right: our government has a $1.5 billion COVID catch-up plan in place, and it is all about boosting surgical activity across Victoria. And indeed it was announced by my predecessor in April this year. The plan comprises several elements, including money to maximise public activity and throughput through new rapid-access hubs, $20.3 million for the Surgical Equipment Innovation Fund and $548.1 million to maximise all available private hospital capacity—and indeed we have purchased Frankston Private Hospital in order to be able to deliver more surgeries more often. Every decision about planned surgery is made by clinicians and is based on acuity.