Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Albury–Wodonga hospital

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (18:05): (803) My adjournment is to the Minister for Health in relation to the Albury–Wodonga hospital. In October last year I raised concerns following the release of the master plan, a plan that provided very little detail, such as the number of hospital beds the new hospital would deliver. Four months later, I thank the minister for her response, which referred to consultation with the community and stakeholders that is occurring and essential to the hospital planning design and delivery process. Given the minister’s response, I was surprised to discover that no representatives from the state government attended the Albury–Wodonga regional health summit on 1 March in Wodonga. We heard from the National Rural Health Alliance, the Murray Primary Health Network, the Border Medical Association, the La Trobe Rural Health School, the Border Regional Training Hub, the Rural Doctors Association and the mayor of Wodonga, and it was great to see members of Parliament from the federal and state level from various political backgrounds, except the Labor state government.

It would have been beneficial if the minister or a representative from the Department of Health had been there to hear from various stakeholders who had come together to discuss priorities to improve health outcomes for the Albury–Wodonga region. Locals see the region as one location, socially and economically, but the Murray River means that health services rely on funding from two different states. The catchment area covers a population of 300,000 people and growing, and current health services are not keeping pace. Locals are disappointed that the Labor government announced funding for the single site in Albury without any community consultation and failed to inform the community of the future for the Wodonga hospital and the emergency department.

Albury Wodonga Health is at breaking point. Based on the number of patients, it is the largest regional health service outside of Geelong in Victoria. Every day, sick patients need to be transferred between the two sites, with doctors rushing between. Health infrastructure is out of date, and there are simply not enough rooms to meet the demand, risking patient safety. The long, drawn-out process has been difficult for Victorian staff, who are unsure of what the plans mean for their jobs, patient loads and future. Locals want to see the provision of accessible, timely and equitable health services and are seeking a clear commitment to provide appropriate funding to deliver the health outcomes needed to support their growing region, acknowledging that the current commitment is welcome but inadequate. I ask the minister to provide a written response to the 10 key points identified at the Albury–Wodonga regional health summit, and the action I seek is for the Victorian state government to progress the development of a premier health service for the region and to consult widely with border communities before finalising any decisions.