Thursday, 23 March 2023

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (14:34): (105) My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Health: what is the status of the Maroondah Priority Primary Care Centre, and how will it benefit residents in my electorate of Ringwood? We know that almost a decade of a federal Liberal government has inflicted a world of damage on local GPs and it is becoming harder than ever for Victorians to find the free extended-hours care they need. Increasingly, Ringwood residents have had no choice but to present to an emergency department with non-life-threatening health issues, but we know that EDs should be reserved for genuinely life-threatening situations, and that is why the Andrews government is rolling out 25 priority primary care centres right across the state, providing free extended hours care for the urgent cases that do not need to go to an ED – cases like sprains, broken bones and minor burns. Importantly, this $70 million investment by the Andrews Labor government will take pressure off our EDs, because we are doing what matters for the people of my electorate. I look forward to hearing from the minister about the status of the Maroondah Priority Primary Care Centre.