Mayors seek audience
Mayors from six Wimmeramallee municipalities hope to gain clarification about regional health-care plans during a digital meeting with Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley next week.
The mayors, representing Horsham, Northern Grampians, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera and Buloke, want State Government guarantees that any proposals will strengthen instead of diminish services across far western Victoria.
A controversial proposal based on a formal merger between Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services, which has also attracted interest from Stawell Regional Health and Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital, is at the core of concerns.
The mayors have tentatively pencilled in a Zoom meeting with Mr Foley tomorrow week.
Horsham mayor Robyn Gulline said the group had attempted several times to arrange the meeting and hoped it would be a case of ‘fourth-time lucky’ next week.
“We know Mr Foley is busy dealing with COVID-19 but consider this a matter of urgency,” she said.
“We have concerns about current discussions and processes underway and don’t believe a merger is in our best interests.
“What we do know is that we want to see a strong public health service that is managed and controlled locally.
“I don’t believe the merger being proposed would solve any problems that have been identified.
“We all want to see a greater provision of health services, of doctors, specialists or allied health professionals and to work with other public health groups – that’s obvious.
“But I question whether a merger will answer funding, staffing or capital-investment issues.
“We don’t believe this is a solution to our problems and why there is a need for greater conversations.”
Cr Gulline said the merger proposal was generating considerable public discontent.
“The number of people who have contacted me about it is incredible. People are stopping me in the street,” she said.
“And where is the formal proposal? This is major change we’re talking about for a big chunk of Victoria and more than 65,000 people.
“As mayors representing our communities we feel our residents must be confident about their health services.”
Wimmera health-care groups involved in partnership discussions are likely to know more about how a western Victorian health-service landscape might look and operate in the next few months.
A communications and communityengagement report has shown overwhelming staff and community support for Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services developing greater partnerships.
The report also showed that autonomous management, representation and service provision were important considerations.
Cr Gulline said the two health groups having strong partnerships and relationships made sense but that fell well short of merging the organisations.
“We absolutely support the idea of Wimmera health group working with Ballarat. But we in the Wimmera and southern Mallee are notorious for creating place-based solutions and developing our own models to meet our unique needs,” she said.
“We’re presented with an opportunity to come up with a solution that suits us and don’t believe a merger with Ballarat works.
“We have plenty of scope and capacity across the region and people dedicated to thinking outside the square.
“Mr Foley has met with our chief executives and we believe it is now time for him to meet with the mayors.
“We’re very passionate about our region.”
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy will present a petition against a merger between Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services to State Parliament next week.
Ms Kealy’s office, in calling for all petitions to be in by the end of the week, had counted about 3000 signatures to yesterday.
“No one has a problem with hospitals working closely together, but people have a big problem with amalgamating health services to achieve that,” Ms Kealy said.