Boss: Health merger positive
tawell Regional Health chief executive Kate Pryde is confident a proposed western Victorian health-service merger will have a positive effect on Stawell’s economy.
Ms Pryde said proposal intentions were to fill and build on health-service gaps, which would lead to more career opportunities and roles for staff and the community having better service choices.
She was commenting on the proposal, which includes merging Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital, Stawell Regional Health, Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services.
Ms Pryde said figures showed, on average, only 12 of the 26 beds at Stawell Regional Hospital were in use daily, aged-care occupancy sat at 55 percent and waiting times had extended for outpatient allied health services including physiotherapy and podiatry.
“A stronger, better resourced, nursing and service staff in Stawell can drive the town’s health care and contribute to population growth and our community’s economy,” she said.
“Community members currently wear the economic burden of having to travel outside of our district for care, resulting in lost time at work, transport costs of petrol and parking and sometimes accommodation costs.
“Increasing the service provision and improving the integration of services across the region can reduce these costs and support local retailers and other businesses.”
Ms Pryde said should the proposal win approval, combined health service planning would explore all services available and develop an understanding about how best to fill gaps and opportunities for enhanced services.
“Once the patient transfer and transport systems and processes between the health services are implemented, the benefits will be ongoing, giving security to our facility and ensuring Stawell Regional Hospital provides sustainable health services well into the future,” she said.
The proposal has generated considerable debate and polarised opinion.
Some people fear, based on previous experiences involving centralised government-agency workforce rationalisation, that a new health group involving Ballarat would lead to diminished regional service provision and autonomy.
Proponents for the move strongly argue the opposite, that Ballarat involvement guarantees, through a formal service-provision conduit, a connection between specialist services and the Wimmera.
Ms Pryde said people seeking more information about an argument for the merger and to have their say could visit website careforour region.com.au.