Constituency questions
South-West Coast electorate
Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (14:43): (660) My question is for the Minister for Health, and my question is: can the minister categorically rule out the Labor government merging any of the south-west health services within the next two years? Those services are South West Healthcare, Portland District Health, Heywood Rural Health, Moyne Health Services and Terang and Mortlake Health Service. These services deserve their own local boards making local decisions. The way Portland District Health has been treated indicates amalgamation; it has been subjected to death by a thousand cuts. Maternity services have struggled, contracts of specialists at PDH have not been renewed and there is still no appointment of a CEO at PDH – all indications the minister is looking to be able to justify mergers. Mergers at any of these health services will mean people having to travel to Geelong and Melbourne for procedures that could be done in Warrnambool and Portland, resulting in poorer patient outcomes and further disadvantage for regional communities. Minister, the community rightly expects a yes or no answer. Your previous answers of ‘No hospitals will be closed’ does not answer the question regarding mergers.