Thursday, 10 December 2020

Elective surgery waiting lists

Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:17): My question is to the Minister for Health. Seventy-eight-year-old Wilhelmina is living in agony with her deteriorated hip and knee joints. Already condemned to a walker and powerful steroid injections which are barely giving her relief, her only option is surgery at either Echuca or Bendigo hospital. At her November appointment her specialist told her she would be waiting at least another three to six months but warned unless these two hospitals received urgent funding she could be waiting a lot longer. How much longer will Wilhelmina have to wait in agony before you adequately fund these important regional hospitals so that she can get the operation she so desperately needs?

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Equality) (14:18): In addressing the Leader of The Nationals’ question I could say: a lot more than they ever received under the honourable Leader of the Opposition’s time in government. But that would be gratuitous. What I would say, however, is that, particularly when it comes to the Bendigo Hospital—that brand new hospital delivered by a Labor government and funded to record levels in record amounts for record levels of service for the people of Bendigo and the wider community—that is an outstanding hospital—

Mr Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, on the issue of relevance, the minister has had time to set the scene, but this is very much about Wilhelmina and the agony that she is in, and I would ask you to get the minister to come back to addressing that important issue on her behalf rather than just rabbiting on.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to answering the question.

Mr FOLEY: In regard to both Echuca and Bendigo hospitals, which was at the heart of the honourable member’s question, this government has funded those hospitals to record amounts. In regard to the broader issue of waitlists that the honourable member also refers to, I would refer the honourable member to my earlier response to the Leader of the Opposition. This is a government that has acted on the advice, on the restricted activities directions, from the chief health officer in regard to how elective surgeries are to be dealt with in the context of a global pandemic.

That was a very tough decision to have to make by the public health authorities and one that was supported by this government, knowing that the consequences would be that particularly the category 2 waitlist would be extended as a result. I want to thank all Victorians who have been part of that important decision, knowing that its consequences would mean an extension in the waitlist, particularly for category 2 surgeries. I can also thank the Treasurer in particular for the $300 million that will be part of the blitz to deal with that increase in the waiting times. I know that the close work with—

Mr Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, Wilhelmina is very interested in the answer the Minister for Health gives as to how much longer she will have to wait. I would ask you to bring the minister back to addressing that particular issue, please.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is being relevant to the question that has been asked.

Mr FOLEY: I know that the work that is now being done with the Bendigo Hospital, the relevant private hospitals in Bendigo—

A member interjected.

Mr FOLEY: St John of God indeed, the Echuca public health system and all public and private health providers around this state—with the AMA, with the various colleges, with the professional staff in both the public and private system, with the whole ecology of the public health and private health system—and the $300 million extra contribution, coming on top of the $9 billion investment in health in this budget to take that arrangement to record levels of spending, will as part of that address this issue. I look forward to the announcement in the not-too-distant future around that important blitz.

Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:22): Minister, how many people are waiting for surgery in the Echuca and Bendigo hospitals?

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Equality) (14:22): In regard to the particular investments in both Bendigo and Echuca, these are important issues of how investment to make sure that whether it is how lists are dealt with on a regional session or indeed a wider session are dealt with—

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, relating to relevance. This was a very, very distinct question: how many people are waiting for surgery at Bendigo and Echuca hospitals? Investment is not answering the question. The question is: how many people are there waiting for surgery at those two hospitals?

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the minister to come back to answering the question.

Mr FOLEY: In regard to how on a regional level waiting lists are dealt with, I can share with the honourable member that the process of regionalising and clustering—the term that is now used by the sector—is dealt with across both public and private hospitals well beyond just the immediate arrangements that apply in—

Mr Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance. I understand the minister may not have that number directly at hand in question time, but could he take it on notice and provide the house with an exact number, please, of how many people are waiting for surgery at the Bendigo and the Echuca hospitals?

The SPEAKER: Order! I do not uphold the point of order.

Mr FOLEY: As I was indicating, the cluster arrangements that deal in a wider geographic area than the important contributions of both Bendigo and Echuca make in this space are dealt with—

Mr R Smith: On a point of order, Speaker, the Leader of the National Party has given the minister an out. If he has not got the number at hand, he can bring it to the chamber. It is not helpful in answering the question for the—

The SPEAKER: Order! The point of order is?

Mr R Smith: for the minister—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I do not uphold the point of order.

Mr FOLEY: So how the cluster arrangements operate and how that number varies every day as a result of this important matter is an issue that this government is strongly committed to and we will see $300 million invested.