Tuesday, 4 February 2025

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:00): (1351) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and it is in relation to VPTAS, or the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme, which is a very important scheme. Deputy President, you would understand, being a regional Victorian, how impacted Victorian patients are in the regions and how they are reliant on this scheme. VPTAS provides financial support for people from rural and regional Victoria when they are travelling long distances to access essential health care such as cancer treatments. There are many – far too many – Victorians who are really doing it so tough, and when they need this vital treatment VPTAS is absolutely necessary. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions in this place around claims processing after hearing from patients saying that the processing of claims for travel and accommodation is blowing out weeks and sometimes months longer than the six- to eight-week timeframe that the government’s website gives for processing a payment.

In April of last year the minister responded to my question around this very issue and said the scheme was ‘back on track’ – we know that phrase, but it is not in relation to this, it is in relation to trying to get this country back on track; nevertheless this is an important issue – to process payments within the guidelines. In September the member from Mildura sought an explanation for outstanding payments of over $100,000 in total that were owed to Sunraysia Cancer Resources, with some claims taking longer than six months. I am still hearing from regional Victorian patients who are frustrated with the delayed payment system. They rely on prompt processing of claims, and it is causing real hardship in a cost-of-living crisis. They know that the government is under huge financial stress. They have blown the budget. Waste and mismanagement have gone on. They are seeing the government prioritise things like the Suburban Rail Loop rather than paying for the VPTAS and getting those things sorted. The government has absolutely no regard for the huge pressures that it is putting on so many Victorian patients. I note the government said, in the Weekly Times on 15 January, it is:

… in the process of hiring and training more staff “to speed up the claims process”.

The action I seek from the minister is to explain when the additional staff will be in place and the processing times for VPTAS claims will be ‘back on track’ with the needs and expectations of the organisations and those individuals who use this very important program.