2 days ago
Health Minister has 'some concerns' over Mildura Base Public Hospital
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has told a parliamentary inquiry she has "had some concerns" about Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH).
MBPH has consistently had among the highest emergency department (ED) backlogs in the state, according to recent length of stay data from the Victorian Agency for Health Information.
A total of 266 patients, or 3.28 per cent of all patients at MBPH, waited for more than 24 hours for treatment at the emergency department from January to March this year.
MBPH had the worst percentage of lengthy emergency department stays in Victorian public hospitals in February and March.
Its recent quarterly length of stay trend is more than eight times the statewide average.
Ms Thomas told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday why she had extended the tenure of the government-appointed delegate to the MBPH board, Therese Tierney, in February.
Ms Thomas said the government planned to open four new sub-acute beds this week to "help improve patient flow through the emergency department".
A hospital spokesperson said the four beds would be moved from MBPH's maternity ward to meet demand at the emergency department.
MBPH board chair Frank Piscioneri said the hospital needed more support from the state government to improve wait times.
"There is a demand for the hospital services, ED and also in the wards [that] has increased dramatically over the last few years," Mr Piscioneri said.
"We're at capacity from a staffing point of view … and it's got to the stage now where the answer to all of this is an increase in the infrastructure — being increased beds in the ED and obviously in the wards.
"The board has met repeatedly with ministers and government representatives, yet there has been no meaningful progress.
"Our capacity challenges are becoming more urgent by the day."
Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne told the inquiry on Friday her department had not been commissioned to upgrade the MBPH emergency department.
She said she had no access to the hospital's services plan or a master plan commissioned for the hospital by the state government in 2021.
Member for Mildura Jade Benham called on the government to release the master plan, and invest in 30 additional hospital beds.
The ABC revealed in May a concept drawing of a new Mildura Base Public Hospital had been published online by architecture firm HSPC Health Architects.
But the full master plan document has not been publicly released.
Health department secretary Jenny Atta told the inquiry on Friday the government had not set a date for the release of the master plan.
"The department would release a master plan once there was an investment decision, and the most up-to-date information could be taken into account and released with that plan."
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