While hundreds of annual reports were tabled in the Victorian Parliament late last week, it did not include GV Health and around 60 other regional health bodies.
A letter tabled in the Parliament by Health Minister Martin Foley pointed to “the impacts of the pandemic upon the hospital and health services, and delays associated with auditing” as the reason for the delay.
Mr Foley said the individual reports would be tabled ". . . as soon as practicable after I have received them“.
Shadow Assistant Regional Health Minister Danny O’Brien said the worrying delays left the local community in the dark on whether hospitals were properly equipped to deal with outbreaks.
“The pandemic has put a huge strain on our health system,” he said.
“With cases expected to rise in regional Victoria as the state reopens, it’s more important than ever that we have a clear picture of how the local hospital is performing.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said if the minister was aware rural hospitals were struggling to keep up, he must provide extra assistance.
“The delay of these reports raises more red flags that the Andrews Labor Government isn’t doing enough to make sure rural health services have the resources they need to meet changing demands.”
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