Tuesday, 16 May 2023

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:11): (207) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health and is related to the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme, otherwise known as VPTAS. My request for action is that the minister lower the threshold of the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme from 100 kilometres to 80 kilometres. On 19 April I had the honour of visiting Ronald McDonald House Monash. They do some incredible work. In 2022, 300 families stayed at Monash House and 4128 nights of accommodation were provided by 31 volunteers who donated their time. This week is volunteer week, and these 31 volunteers help Ronald McDonald House Monash with their important work. This involves helping families with structured support while children access services, including premature birth care, oncology, respiratory, renal, orthopaedic and more.

One of the few areas where the government does get involved and support this program is through the VPTAS, which covers some of the travel and accommodation costs incurred by rural Victorians when they must travel more than 100 kilometres one way for specialist medical treatment. Ronald McDonald House has informed me that several families that they work with fall just outside this threshold for the patient support service. A small change – lowering the threshold to 80 kilometres – would allow them to offer better support to vulnerable families in need.