Health system
Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (14:16): My question is also to the Minister for Health. Wendy is a 53-year-old Yarra Junction resident. She requires rotator cuff surgery to reattach tendons to the bone in both her left and right shoulders. She is also a type 2 diabetic. Wendy has endured more than four years of debilitating pain and restriction of movement while awaiting surgery. Her orthopaedic specialist is administering regular steroid injections into her shoulders to help reduce the extreme pain. Wendy has been waiting four years—long before COVID. Can the minister explain why Victorians in pain must wait four years for basic surgery because this government has totally mismanaged the state’s health system?
Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:17): I thank the member for her question, and I invite her to send me further details about Wendy, which I am very happy to ask the department to follow up. I know myself how painful shoulders can be if they are indeed injured in some way. The point that I would like to make in response to this is that over the last couple of weeks the Premier and I have had the opportunity to make some very exciting announcements. That of course is the purchase of Bellbird Private Hospital and its conversion into the Blackburn public surgical centre, and indeed before that the Premier and the previous minister announced the purchase of Frankston Private Hospital.
Ms McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question to the minister was about Wendy, her pain, her surgery and the government’s mismanagement. This is not a time for the minister to say what she wants to say. She needs to answer the question.
The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
Ms THOMAS: Thank you very much, Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to further explain the initiatives that our government is putting in place to grow public surgery provision in this state, and indeed the purchase of these two private hospitals, which those on the other side oppose, will deliver an additional 15 000 public surgeries every single year. Yet again we hear from those opposite: they come here with their alleged concern about individuals but do not want to listen to the answers. They do not want to hear about the plans that are being implemented as we speak in order to deliver more public surgeries to more people here in Victoria, including Wendy.
Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (14:19): I am sure Wendy would be delighted to go to Blackburn and be at the top of the list there. In September last year Wendy was also diagnosed with a severe form of MS and needs shoulder surgery more than ever. Wendy struggles with basic everyday tasks, and she is fearful she will not be able to stop herself from stumbling or falling due to her painful failing shoulders. Does the minister understand that delayed surgery caused by this government will lead to permanent disability and a much more severe outcome for people like Wendy?
Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:20): A couple of comments in response to this question. The first is of course that Wendy is under the care of a clinician—I am very glad to hear that—so she is receiving the care. I want to assure both the member and indeed all Victorians that planned surgery in this state is done according to acuity. Clinical decisions are being made every day in our health services in terms of which surgery can be done the soonest.
Once again what we see here is complete disregard for the fact that we have had a global pandemic. It has had a significant impact most acutely on our healthcare workforce, many of whom over the last few months have been furloughed at home with COVID themselves.
Mr Andrews interjected.
Ms THOMAS: Indeed. People who are immunocompromised are at particular risk of COVID, and it is very important that we do all we can to protect them, including wearing a mask in a crowded indoor setting.