Thursday, 4 June 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): (1342) My question is to the Minister for Ambulance Services. Minister, non-emergency patient transport – the NEPT providers – plays a critical role in transporting patients across the state. Despite receiving verbal assurance from the Department of Health that they would be reimbursed for increased fuel costs from 1 May, this has not been approved or actioned. Why not?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:04): Thank you very much, Ms Crozier, for that question. At the outset I want to be really clear that we will continue to support our paramedics and the transport options that are available and called upon every single day to assist people in getting from the place at which they need assistance to the place at which they can receive care. We are absolutely laser focused on making sure that people are not left out of pocket for essential travel to access the health services that they need and that we are also providing opportunities for people to find the support that they require, including through non-emergency patient transport.

When we deliver these services, we do so in a range of different ways. I am not going to be taking lectures from those opposite about performance or indeed about funding. Across the ambulance services system and across the work that we have done to fund a range of programs, we have invested more than $2 billion and we have increased the size of our ambulance paramedic workforce by 50 per cent since we were elected, and we want to make sure that we can continue to provide that support. This is where patient assistance and the transport scheme are incredibly central to the work that we do. From earlier this year we implemented some changes to the VPTAS program to make things easier for Victorians who access the scheme, and that includes a new online portal for people to be able to reduce the administrative burdens and streamline applications.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I think the minister has completely misunderstood my question. She is not even referencing the important issue I am speaking about. I am not talking about patients. I am talking about the providers, the NEPT providers. This is about fuel costs. It has got nothing to do with VPTAS. She might be trying to plug for time, but could I ask you to draw her back to the specifics about why, on these fuel costs that were promised on 1 May, nothing has been actioned?

The PRESIDENT: You can ask me, and I will call the minister back to the question.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, as much as you do not want to talk about the supports that we are providing for patient transport, I want to continue to make it clear to Victorians that not only have we invested a record amount into patient transport –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, the minister has been going for 2½ minutes and has not addressed the substantive issue that I have raised. I would ask you to bring her back to the question I asked around the providers.

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister back to the question.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, as I was saying, we want to make sure that we are continuing to support those providers who provide non-emergency patient transport, and VPTAS is an important part of that overarching scheme. Now, I want to be also really clear. Non-emergency –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I am really quite concerned that the minister responsible for ambulance services does not have a clue what I am asking about. It is not about the VPTAS scheme, the reimbursement for patients. This is about the transport providers, the private providers, where the department promised that they would get back to them on 1 May and they have not. Why not?

The PRESIDENT: I think you are debating the point of order. Ms Crozier, there is a provision to me and a provision to you for a point of order if you think that I have not ruled that a question has not been answered. I will consider that at the end of question time.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, non-emergency patient transport providers have individual contracts. They are private companies. It is my understanding that we have not ever had any advice provided that they have received assurances. But again, Ms Crozier, if you have got questions and you would like to discuss it, please flag that with my office. I am very happy to help to the extent that we can.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:09): What a woeful answer by the minister. This is question time. These are important issues that have been raised with me because people have not been able to get a response from the department. My question is: Minister, what discussions have you had with the sector about mitigation of the financial impact? It sounds to me you have had zero.

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:10): Ms Crozier, you may wish not to engage with the health system around solutions and around investment –

Members interjecting.

Harriet SHING: Sorry, Mr Davis?

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, you and I have been around a long time.

David Davis: I withdraw that she is a goose.

The PRESIDENT: No, can you just –

David Davis: I withdraw.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Members interjecting.

Harriet SHING: Again, while it might seem like comedy hour on the other side of the chamber today, we take patient safety and the opportunities for transport really seriously on this side of the house and we take it really seriously within government. As I said, Ms Crozier, I am very happy to get you some further detail about the ongoing work that the Department of Health does around the way in which non-emergency patient transport providers do their jobs. As I indicated very clearly, they are private companies, Ms Crozier. As I have also indicated very clearly, they continue to have conversations with the department, and as I indicated, I would be very happy to provide you with information on that work as those conversations continue.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:11): I move:

That the minister’s response be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.