Questions without notice and ministers statements
Ambulance services
Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, Victorians are dying due to the government’s failing health system. A Blackburn man called 000 twice as he lay bleeding, but it was nearly 5 hours before an ambulance turned up and paramedics found he had died. How is it that in suburban Melbourne a man who needed emergency treatment and care died because no ambulance was available?
Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:03): Of course my thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has lost his life, acknowledging that this is a very difficult time for them as well as for the paramedics who found this man at his home. As is appropriate, Ambulance Victoria are undertaking an investigation into this matter and it is being referred to the coroner. I will take the time to hear from the coroner when it comes to ascertaining the cause of this man’s death. But I will say this, because the Leader of the Opposition has asked me about what we are doing in order to address ambulance response times in this state, and I want to make a couple of comments in relation to this. We have a plan that we are implementing, which is paying dividends, and I will tell you why.
Members interjecting.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: You have asked the question. The recent report on government services has indicated that, while we have more to do, the response times here in Victoria remain better than in other comparable jurisdictions. We are also investing in our ambulance services and in many alternative care pathways, as people in this house know. As I have said, though – I have responded to the question – I will await the findings of the coroner before I provide any further commentary on this matter.
Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): Minister, the man that has died was a nurse. He had provided care to sick and vulnerable Victorians for his entire working life, yet when he was vulnerable the emergency health care he needed was not there because the system is broken. Minister, will you apologise to this man’s family for the failing of the health system at his time of need?
Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:05): As I have already indicated, this matter is being investigated by Ambulance Victoria and will be referred to the coroner. At the beginning –
Bridget Vallence: Deputy Speaker, on a point of order on relevance, the minister is straying from the very, very narrow question: will she provide an apology to this man’s family?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. The minister is being relevant to the question asked.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: Before I was interrupted I was about to go on to say that I commenced my response to the first question by expressing my condolences and sorrow for what has happened, something I have not yet heard from those on the other side.