Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:38): (2515) The matter I have tonight is for the Minister for Health, and it relates to a very delicate and tender issue that has occurred at the start of this year in Leongatha and the broader South Gippsland community. That community faced what can only be described as an unprecedented situation with the loss of a very large local medical service and clinic. It has caused distress in our community, and there have been many hanging on a positive way forward. The community is certainly resilient, and I hope now a positive pathway is emerging. There is genuine appreciation for all those who have dealt with this. I commend the Rail Trail Medical clinic, a new and developing practice. They stepped up at a critical time to ensure continuity of care, and their commitment to the community deserves recognition, as do many other practices in the area that bore the weight of additional patients whilst coping with this situation.

The practice faces a complex issue regarding the proposed transfer of the former Leongatha Healthcare server and patient medical records when in receipt of the server – and we hope that that is soon. While this is intended to support continuity in care, it carries significant responsibilities. Under Victoria’s Health Records Act 2001, accepting these records – meaning assuming full legal responsibility for their storage, their privacy, their access, their cybersecurity and their long-term retention – for a very small regional practice newly minted represents a substantial and ongoing burden, with financial and compliance issues if not properly supported.

They are very, very happy to take on this role. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues Danny O’Brien and Mary Aldred, who have been working in the background. I also want to acknowledge that the former state health minister and current federal health minister have been recognising the delicacy of this but also acknowledge their support in practice where they can. Now I feel that there is an opportunity for the federal health minister to be able to provide material assistance. Rail Trail is going to step up. Their willingness is exemplary to support the community, but it will have a cost. It will cost resources, it will cost time and it will cost funding. The action I seek from the Minister for Health in this house is to advocate to her federal counterpart the Honourable Mark Butler for material financial assistance, through the primary healthcare network potentially, to support the safe and compliant transfer and management of these records, noting it could take many months of work to satisfactorily complete. This is about supporting this community, and I ask the minister to play her role as she can.