Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (14:17): My question is to the Minister for Health. In June 2025 reports that paediatric services were to be removed from Maroondah Hospital sparked significant community backlash, and the minister intervened to stop those cuts. Eastern Health has now confirmed that the minister has approved the removal of orthopaedic and urology services from Maroondah Hospital. Maroondah Hospital is the primary acute hospital for the outer east, serving growing communities across Ringwood and the Yarra Ranges. Not only has the promised rebuild not begun; services are now being taken away. Cutting services at Maroondah Hospital means cutting care close to home. Why did the minister agree to cut these services from Maroondah Hospital?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Women) (14:18): I thank the member for his question. In fact today I had the opportunity at the breakfast for the Royal Women’s Hospital to talk about the women’s health clinics that have been established in Victoria at our health services, including of course at Eastern Health, and I hope that the member has the opportunity to learn more about the fantastic services that are being delivered by that health service, better meeting the needs of the women and girls at Eastern Health. I would also say that this government has proudly invested record funding into our health services, including, again, to Eastern Health.

Will Fowles: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, my question is about the specific service cuts, and the minister has not come anywhere near addressing those cuts.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to the question that was asked.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Again, I thank the member for his question, but it is relevant to point to the fact that our government has made record investment into each of our health services and that, as members in this place should know, each year we negotiate with each of our hospitals a statement of priorities that sets their funding for the year and the services that they will deliver. Of course from time to time what our health services will do is assess the demand for the various services that they may offer and seek to realign the service offering in order to better meet the needs of their communities. But let me be clear, there have been no cuts to frontline services under this government. There is only one party in this chamber that has an $11.1 billion budget black hole and that will deliver cuts to Eastern Health, to Monash Health, to Latrobe Health. On this side of the house we are very clear: we will never cut services to frontline health services in this state.

The SPEAKER: Minister for Health through the Chair! Members will come to order.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: On this side of the house we are very clear: we will never cut services to frontline health services in this state.

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (14:20): Is the minister suggesting that the cuts to orthopaedic and urology services – those frontline service cuts – are because there is not enough demand for those services?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Women) (14:20): Again, I make the point that our government has delivered record funding to our health services for them to deliver the services that meet the needs of their communities.