Tuesday, 30 August 2022

 Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is to the Minister for Health. Recently the example of an 83-year-old stroke victim who was forced to wait for 17 hours outside in the middle of the Melbourne winter in a tent was brought to public attention. Paramedics told the media that the situation was akin to—their words—‘Guantánamo Bay’. Can the minister advise why government policy, which forced a stroke victim to wait outside in a tent for 17 hours is, in the minister’s words, an ‘appropriate’ level of care?

 Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:17): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question, which again, like so many of his questions in this place, is based on conjecture and not fact. I inquired in relation to this story. I was very concerned about what I had read, and I inquired at the hospital to ensure that appropriate care had been given. This was confirmed for me by the hospital. I make this point: this person at no stage has given permission for any of the details of her case to be talked about in this way. You might recall the person that brought this to the media’s attention herself chose to be anonymous. I made inquiries to the hospital because I was concerned about what I had read, but I will say this too: we have worked throughout the pandemic with our healthcare workers, and we have taken up the initiatives and the ideas that they have brought forward in order to continue the best of care during the most difficult and complex time faced by our healthcare system. The ambulance off-load provisions have been one of those initiatives brought to us by healthcare workers, brought to us in order to make sure that ambulances can get back on the road as quickly as possible, responding to urgent priority 1 000 calls. Again, I made the inquiries. I was satisfied with the response. This incident relates to a person who at no time has given any permission for her identity or photograph to be shared.

 Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): It has been reported that 14 hospital emergency departments have tents set up outside them to deal with the crisis in the system. I ask the minister: how many patients who should be receiving care inside a hospital emergency department have instead been left waiting in those makeshift tents outside Victorian hospitals?

 Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:20): Once again we see the Leader of the Opposition attacking healthcare workers, attacking the initiatives that they have suggested, that they asked government to support them to put in place in order to tackle some of the challenges that our health system has faced as a consequence of the pandemic. Only our government has a $12 billion pandemic repair plan that we are implementing right now—backing our workforce, getting behind them, recruiting more of them and ensuring that we can continue to deliver world best care in Victoria.