Community
15 January, 2025
Vote of confidence for region’s health services
THE Victorian Government has officially unveiled the future of public health delivery – with a surprise showing of support for the independence of health services in the south west.
Last Friday the Allan Labor Government formally announced the establishment of Local Health Service Networks – which, as Western District Newspapers reported in August last year, had been accepted among the recommendations of the Health Services Plan report commissioned by the Expert Advisory Committee.
The networks will be grouped together by geographic regions and will support improved cooperation between local services, ensure doctors and specialists are available to care for patients closer to where they live, deliver clearer pathways in and out of hospital, and support better waitlist management across a region.
In a surprise twist, the State Government deviated from recommendation 4.1, to establish a Barwon South West Local Health Service Network, and instead opted for the alternative configuration of having separate Barwon and South West Networks independent from each other.
This configuration recognised the differences in distinctive characteristics between the delivery of health services in Geelong as a metropolitan area and the south west as a largely rural area.
The joint configuration had been deemed as sub-optimal due to patient flows through to Barwon Health for complex care, however, the announcement suggests a vote of confidence in the future of local, independent health services across the south west.
The newly-announced South West Network will include South West Healthcare, Terang and Mortlake Health Service, Timboon and District Healthcare Service, Western District Health Service, Casterton Memorial Hospital, Heywood Rural Health, Moyne Health Services and Portland District Health.
Minister for Health Mary Anne-Thomas said the final groupings of the networks had been determined following extensive consultation with health services – with consideration given to population growth, community need, clinical capability and distance between services.
“Victoria’s health system is one of the best in the world, and these reforms will deliver even better care by supporting health services to work together and ensuring local voices are heard,” she said.
“These networks will mean stronger referral pathways between health services – freeing up beds in busier hospitals, taking pressure off our dedicated workforce, and ensuring Victorians get care sooner, closer to home.
“At the centre of our health system reform is Victorian patients and staff – this is about expanding access to frontline services, particularly in regional and rural Victoria.”
The Victorian Government also made a firm commitment to the independent governance of each health service, stating there would be no changes to each board and chief executive officer.
From early this year, health services will come together to discuss the priorities and arrangements for their network, focusing on four key priority areas – access and flow, workforce, clinical governance, and sustainability – before the networks commence operation on July 1.
Not everyone is convinced with the announcement, however, with Lowan MP Emma Kealy saying she believed the announcement “was a further step in Labor’s plans to take away local decision making and reduce local services”.
“All regional Victorians should be very concerned about the impact these new health networks will have on local services,” she said.
“This ill-conceived plan will result in reduced services, job losses and force regional Victorians to travel further for essential care.
“Labor promised that their forced hospital amalgamations under Grampians Health would deliver more health jobs, more local services and upgraded facilities, but instead all we’ve seen are cuts to local jobs, cuts to local health services, and centralised management, decision making and funding.
“Labor’s failure to manage Victoria’s health system is having a devastating impact on staff morale locally and access to local health care for our people.”
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said the announcement was a win for the community which “demonstrates what communities who speak up can achieve”.
“I will be watching closely on any developments that negatively affect health services in smaller towns such as Portland, Terang, Heywood and Port Fairy,” she said.
“It is important that they retain their local board and governance.
“These communities have worked hard over the years to support their health services; they deserve the right to continue to have a say and be reassured that they will not see services reduced or lost.”
Ms Britnell said communities were “rightfully nervous, given the Allan Labor Government are clearly out of money”.
“They demonstrated just how desperate they are, by secretly looking to the health sector, to find areas to cut and health services to merge,” she said.
“They threatened staff with dismissal if they spoke out. Concerned staff were so worried about the government’s plans on health services that they went public anyway. That public pressure forced the government to back pedal.
“That is why it is so important to watch closely and insist on the government being transparent so the community can be sure that services are not removed by stealth.
“The CEOs of the South West health services already work well together so it never made sense to merge with Geelong.”
“The Allan Labor government now needs to listen to the health experts in south west Victoria and deliver the full complement of quality services needed in the region.”
For more information on the Local Health Service Networks, visit health.vic.gov.au/local-health-service-networks.
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