Thursday, 1 August 2024

South-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:56): (1003) My question is to the Minister for Health and relates to the Frankston Hospital, which I note has an inappropriate CFMEU flag flying – inappropriate of course due to the concerns about its criminal activities and associations. I also have to note the $1.1 billion that has been spent on this redevelopment, which is up from the $562 million which was initially promised in 2018. My question is to the minister: why has there been no provision to provide dental services for people with special needs in this development? My constituent has impacted teeth and a cavity and was referred from the dental services at Frankston Hospital to Carlton dental hospital. There was a two-year waitlist there. He finally got an appointment at Carlton and was initially told that the treatment now would require an anaesthetic and there was a three-year waitlist for that. He went to the Monash hospital in Clayton, where there was a six-month waitlist, and was told there was a two-year wait for treatment. He then went to Dandenong Hospital, where there is now a further six-month wait. It has been 18 months now; my constituent is still waiting. This is an appalling situation where vulnerable people are forced to suffer for a basic need, and all the while Frankston Hospital’s inadequate development costs have nearly doubled.

Sitting suspended 12:58 pm until 2:02 pm.