Health mergers spark worry

Proponents of the plan said it would increase cooperation and coordination among providers, resulting in better care, sooner and closer to home.

However, officials who oppose the idea have said this amounts to hospital mergers, and have raised concerns that it will have the opposite outcome - making it harder for people in regional areas to access care as smaller hospitals are merged with larger hospitals to form centralised hubs.

Ms Cleeland, who is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, said the state government’s plan has left many in the community worried about the future of their local hospitals.

“Like many health professionals, hospital staff, and patients, I fear for the survival of our smaller hospitals as they’re swallowed by a system that prioritises efficiency over accessibility,” Ms Cleeland said.

“Instead of empowering these hospitals, the government is introducing more red tape, stripping them of autonomy, and centralising decision-making far from the people who rely on them most.

“I’m deeply concerned that existing facilities will be stripped from smaller hospitals and funnelled into these larger hubs to make up for their resourcing shortfalls.”

Ms Cleeland has written to hospitals across the region requesting a guarantee that no health services will be cut as a result of the mergers.

“We only need to look at what happened with Grampians Health to see the writing on the wall,” she said.

“Services were cut, communities were left without the care they relied on, and decision-making was dragged further from the people it impacts most.

“Our regional towns simply cannot afford to lose the hospitals and services they rely on.

“Regional Victorians deserve better, and I will fight to ensure they get it.”

According to the government, the governance of each health service, including its board and chief executive, unique identity and connection to the community, will remain unchanged when the new health services networks come into effect.