Tuesday, 22 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:48): (1491) My question is again to the Minister for Health. Minister, the referrals of 150 Victorians from their GPs to see a specialist in Mildura were left in a box and forgotten for 16 months. Tragically a number of these forgotten Victorians have died before being seen in a timely manner. Why has the government failed to deliver what it promised to Victorian patients, and that is timely care?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (14:48): I thank Ms Crozier for the question. The reports of delayed specialist referrals at the Mildura Base Public Hospital are deeply concerning. All affected referrals, I am advised, identified by the hospital have now been reviewed, triaged and, importantly, booked according to their clinical need, which is the appropriate course of action. I also want to indicate that the matters have been referred and reported to Safer Care Victoria, which is the appropriate course of action for that health service to take, and the Mildura Base Public Hospital is continuing to work closely with the department on making sure that there is that proper oversight of its clinical models of care, including the importance of referrals from GPs to specialists and the appointment process. The hospital’s board and executive are working with the department on a comprehensive performance improvement plan, and that is absolutely appropriate. Safer Care Victoria has been continuing to support the hospital through its sentinel event program. Importantly, the government has also appointed an independent expert delegate to the board to provide advice and regular updates to the department and to me as minister on the services at the Mildura base hospital, and we expect the hospital to fully understand what occurred, support those affected patients and their families and make sure that the appropriate safeguards are in place so this can never happen again.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:50): What hollow words. It is no consolation to those patients that are absolutely furious and those families who have lost their family members because they have, sadly, tragically died. Minister, many of those 150 forgotten Victorians now need surgery but will be put on a waitlist. You refuse to release the waitlist data for the June quarter, so I ask: what is the current advice you have as to the number of Victorians who are waiting for surgery?

The PRESIDENT: I do not believe that is, as far as it being the supplementary, referring to the substantive, Ms Crozier.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, this is a really serious question.

The PRESIDENT: I do not dismiss that, but I am just wondering if the supplementary refers to the substantive question and the answer.

Georgie Crozier: Of course it is related, because the 150 Victorians who needed surgery or procedures are going to be on a waitlist. The supplementary goes directly to the substantive, and I am asking the minister how many Victorians are waiting for surgery. It is a very relevant and relative question.

The PRESIDENT: Yes, I get that, and I understand what you are getting at, Ms Crozier. I am just wondering as far as how releasing some data goes compared to the substantive question. I am happy for the minister to answer as she sees fit.

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (14:51): I think this is a good example of Ms Crozier not listening to the actual answer that I gave to her substantive question, in which I pointed out that there has been a power of work that has occurred in Mildura to triage and to rebook these patients according to clinical need. Now, that is a decision for clinicians. It is not a decision for any politician to be making, and health services are responsible for making sure that timely care is delivered in accordance with those clinical standards. In relation to –

Georgie Crozier: I was hoping the minister was getting to it, but I will raise my point of order anyway, because my question was relating to the number of Victorians on the waitlist given we do not have any data. The government refuses to release it, so I will ask again. I will ask you to bring the minister back to the question I asked and ask her to answer it.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was being relevant, and I said she could answer as she sees fit.

Ingrid STITT: I mean, I have been asked this a number of times now by Ms Crozier, and she has a habit of asking a question about a specific topic or health service and then seeking to use her supplementary as a fishing expedition about the whole of the health system in Victoria.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I would ask you to ask the minister to answer the question rather than give that ridiculous and insulting answer to the Victorians who are waiting for surgery, and more specifically those in Mildura. The minister is holding Victorians in utter contempt, and I would ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question about how many Victorians are waiting for surgery.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was being relevant.

Ingrid STITT: As Ms Crozier knows very well, the Victorian health services performance data is publicly available quarterly. There is a process that is gone through to make sure that that is validated and that quality assurance processes are undertaken before that data is publicly released, and it will be publicly released in due course.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:54): I move:

That the minister’s answers be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.