Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, has asked Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, to come clean on the future of the region’s hospital management.
“I previously raised concerns the Minister was considering merging all Gippsland hospitals under one chief executive and one board, but in response, the Minister said I was playing politics and ‘no hospitals will close’,” Mr Bull said.
“There was never any suggestion from me hospital sites would close. The concern is that consideration is being given to merging of all the Gippsland hospital boards into one, and we know this is on the table because hospital board members from across the region have told us.
“What has happened here is the Minister has provided an answer to a question that was not asked, and we simply want to know what her plans are.
“These board amalgamations are what has already occurred in the west of the state with Grampians Health, where smaller hospitals like Edenhope and Hamilton have lost their say, left only with ‘advisory boards’ that have no teeth.
“It has prompted Northern Grampians Shire Council to move a vote of no confidence in Grampians Health,” he said.
Mr Bull expressed concerns that some Gippsland hospital boards had also lost their local majority and, in some cases, now had a majority of members from outside the local area and who had been appointed by the Minister.
“This leaves local representation on most boards in the minority, and we need to support these board members to ensure their views are heard in representing our communities.
“The question for the Minister to answer is simple – will she rule out amalgamating our hospitals under one centralised board and chief executive?”
