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Hospital system needs long term plan
25 October 2010.
The Brumby Government must reveal its ten year growth plan before the 27 November election to show Victorians how it plans to cope with a huge increase in demand at suburban hospitals, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today.
Over the past three years hospital admissions to Maroondah Hospital and Sunshine Hospital have increased by 25 and 19 per cent respectively, and admissions to the Royal Melbourne, Women and Children’s hospitals have decreased.
"The Royal Melbourne Hospital admitted fifteen thousand fewer patients in the last financial year than it did three years ago," said Dr Hemley. "The Royal Women’s admitted four thousand fewer patients than it did four years ago and there has also been a slight decline in admissions at the Children’s.
Dr Hemley said there were positives to receiving treatment at the highly specialised Royal hospitals, just as there were benefits to receiving treatment close to home.
"What concerns me is the lack of transparency around the Victorian Government’s health strategy. If the government wants to divert patients away from the city hospitals, it must be open about this plan and fund suburban hospitals accordingly.
"Demand has increased at our suburban hospitals but without enough extra equipment, staff and beds, these hospitals have struggled to cope and patients face longer for care. This is particularly prevalent at the Western and Dandenong hospitals, where emergency department waiting times have grown significantly over the past four years.
"We are less than five weeks out from the Victorian election and neither the Brumby Government nor the Liberal/National Coalition have presented their long term plans for the state’s health system.
"We need a plan to reduce long waits for elective surgery and emergency care and ensure our hospitals can support the state’s growing population. We need a plan that supports innovation, particularly in increasing care settings so patients don’t have to be treated in hospitals."
View individual hospital performance data from the past four years
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