Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Ministers statements: health system

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:16): I rise today to update the house on how the Allan Labor government’s commitment to delivering real cost-of-living relief for real people is making health care more accessible for thousands of Victorians.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Nepean can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: When budgets are tight at home, Victorians should not have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the health care that they need. However, due to almost a decade of neglect from the former federal Liberal government, we know that accessing a bulk-billing GP can be difficult. That is why we have created 29 priority primary care clinics. Over 280,000 visits have already been made to our clinics, where real patients are receiving real treatment for common occurrences like cuts and burns and bruises, stitches, fractures, tonsillitis, RSV and other common infections. But what is more, we are also getting on –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I would ask you to cease interjecting across the table.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: We are getting on with delivering our 12-month-long community pharmacists pilot, which has already saved Victorian women many trips to the GP for the relief of simple UTIs or for the refill of a prescription for the contraceptive pill.

The Allan Labor government also knows that the cost for dental check-ups and treatments for kids can really add up. That is why Smile Squad is so important. We estimate that Smile Squad is delivering real savings for Victorian families of around $400 per child per year for every child at a government school, and indeed we are implementing it at low-fee-paying private schools – real kids, real families, real savings. Only an Allan Labor government can be trusted to meet the cost-of-living needs of Victorian families, take them seriously and provide real relief. That is exactly what we are doing in the health portfolio and what we will continue to deliver.