The Daylesford Hospital Upgrade Appeal Community Campaign has growing concerns about the future of the Daylesford hospital.
As the Labour government seeks cuts in advance of the looming state budget, there are growing pressures facing rural and regional health networks.
Recent media reports indicate that the Allan Government is seeking funding savings in back room jobs across Victoria’s health services heading to the May budget. There are further reports that these pressures are likely to trigger mergers of regional and rural health networks.
The 162 year old Daylesford Hospital precinct, part of Central Highlands Rural Health, provides acute, aged and community care for the Daylesford and surrounding communities. A strong community campaign ran in the lead up to the 2022 state election seeking a major capital upgrade from both major parties. The community rallied and raised $100,000 in under eight weeks to fund development of a Masterplan that provided a blueprint to bring the precinct into the 21st century at an extimated cost of $75 million.
Despite significant stakeholder and community support, including from the Hepburn Shire Council, and extensive media coverage highlighting many areas unfit for purpose, the community was ultimately unsuccessful in getting support from its local Member for Macedon, the Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas and the re-elected Labor Government to fund an upgrade.
Chair of the DHUA campaign, Cr Lesley Hewitt, is concerned about what impacts this might have on the growing infrastructure needs of the Daylesford Hospital precinct.
“These mergers risk Daylesford Hospital slipping even further down the bureaucratic ladder for priority capital investment”, she said.
“We are concerned that mergers and cuts will result in front line service reductions and diminished local health care capacity. Funding uncertainty and many unfit for purpose buildings also risks being able to attract and retain staff to the Daylesford Hospital. This will then impact locals, who we know really value the service, but are likely to face further barriers accessing local and timely healthcare.”
Community support for local health services continues, with recent further donations to the Daylesford Hospital to help purchase equipment and support programs.
“The generous spirit of this community and the value it places in its local health service is undisputed, but a 162 year old public asset who’s purpose is meant to provide rural people with quality and modern local health care, can’t limp along on the goodwill of locals. A major capital investment from the Government, not cutbacks, is urgently needed. We want to know before the May State budget and looming mergers, what our local member is doing to properly fund the upgrade. We’re worried we’ll miss out again,” Cr Hewitt said.
The Minister fore Health, Mary-Anne Thomas confirmed that the state government had no plans to close Daylesford Hospital.
“Our health system, like health systems across Australia and around the world, is facing significant challenges, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “It is important we look at how the system is organised to ensure we are delivering the very best health care, closer to home, for Victorian patients wherever they live.”
“We have made it very clear that we have no plans to close any hospital across Victoria, that includes Daylesford Hospital which is already part of Central Highlands Rural Health.”
The Minister pointed out that the state government has delivered a number of significant funding grants to Daylesford Hospital as part of their Regional Health Infrastructure Fund and Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program (EIRP)including more than $6 million for operating theatre upgrades, $400,000 for the planning of an aged care refurbishment, $800,000 for new heating hot water boilers and reverse osmosis water plant and $544,500 for upgraded power to the hospital site.
“We have a world-class health system in Victoria,” said Mary-Anne Thomas. “it continues to be our largest investment and this will continue to be the case.”
The 2024 State budget is due to be delivered on Tuesday 7th May.
This article is based on media releases from the Daylesford Hospital Upgrade Appeal Community Campaign and from the office of Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas.
