Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:00): (1317) My question is for the Minister for Health. Congratulations on your new portfolio. In November last year your government and your federal counterparts jointly commissioned a review of Cohealth’s general practice and related services. The terms of reference for this review state the ‘desired outcome of the review is to identify options to support the continuation of these services to the community’. Does the review recommend long-term funding for Cohealth?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:00): Thank you, Dr Mansfield, for your question. I think we are in fact catching up later today to have –

Sarah Mansfield interjected.

Harriet SHING: I am always happy to catch up with you about any matter to do with the health portfolio, Dr Mansfield, and I am looking forward to those conversations continuing. I would like to perhaps take you back to an earlier part of your question around the commissioning of a review. That was done by the Commonwealth. I want to be clear about the fact that the Commonwealth had commissioned that particular review around Cohealth’s operations, governance and risk management frameworks and its ongoing work. I also think it is important for the purpose of this conversation that we address the ongoing support that Cohealth receives as it provides those really central services to people with often very, very complex needs and that that needs to happen as part of an integrated process on assistance, whether it is for primary health care, referral on to specialist needs or assistance with a range of other matters that are connected to health and wellbeing. This is where we do provide around $14 million directly to Cohealth, which sits alongside broader investment beyond the health funding for community health totalling around $60 million.

Last week, as you would be aware, there was an announcement on 8 May from the Commonwealth around securing the future of Cohealth with an additional $1.5 million to assist them with services remaining open at Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington while Cohealth undertakes improvements in its operations. That means, as was noted last week, that patients and families and communities can continue to get that care and the support that they need. The terms of reference for the review that you have referred to indicate an independent review team with very specialist expertise on health systems to be able to identify areas for improvement in health systems, general practice management, community health services models and financial management and that that review is to be provided to the Commonwealth.

Sarah Mansfield: On a point of order, President, while I appreciate all of the context that is being provided, I only have limited time for a response. I feel that my question, which was a very straightforward question, has not been addressed, which is: does the review recommend long-term funding for Cohealth?

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was being relevant to the question.

Harriet SHING: As I said, we remain committed to supporting Cohealth to become and remain sustainable, transparent and accountable and to address those risk management and governance issues which pre-empted or precipitated the review in the first instance. As with all processes for funding of community health across the health system – again, there is record funding support for the health system of $32 billion – we will continue to work alongside Cohealth, and the Commonwealth will also do so. But again, this is about, as I said, the announcement of Cohealth beginning and continuing to undertake improvements to its operations. The Commonwealth will continue to review the processes from there.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:04): I would point out that community health funding is a joint responsibility of state and federal governments, and the infrastructure in particular is squarely with the state government. My substantive question was about the review and whether it recommended long-term funding for Cohealth. I do not believe that question at any point was answered. Minister, have you seen the review and its recommendations?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:04): Thank you very much, Dr Mansfield. I have been briefed on the review, and I have been privy to a discussion about the terms of the review and the outcomes of that review. However, that was a review that was commissioned by the Commonwealth – just to be really, really clear – and that was done in partnership with Cohealth. They are the two parties that auspiced the review and participated in that process. Again, we will continue to provide funding as we have done to Cohealth – $14 million most recently as part of more than $60 million in investment across government. So by no means, I think, is it reasonable to conclude that we are not providing funding or support to Cohealth, and by no means is it reasonable to conclude or open to conclude fairly that we have in any way turned our back on this really important cohort of people with particular vulnerabilities in providing them with the support that they need. Again, we are looking forward to continuing to work alongside the Commonwealth to assist people to have the confidence that they need around sustainability, accountability and transparency.