Victoria's major regional hospitals are planning for hiring freezes and staff cuts as the Department of Health demands multi-million dollar budget cuts in the coming financial year. or signup to continue reading Bendigo Health and Albury Wodonga Health have both warned staff of employment freezes and the potential for cuts to jobs and services, with budget negotiations likely to stretch well into July. The pressure on the larger regional services follows of up to 40 per cent hitting dozens of small rural health services across the state.
Melbourne's major health services have been delivered similar austerity requirements. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and Premier Jacinta Allan said the budgets haven't been finalised and denied the sector was facing cuts. "There's a lot of fearmongering and politicking going on," Ms Thomas said.
"Let me be clear: our government delivered an additional $8.8 billion into our hospitals at our most recent budget. This year alone, $20 billion is being invested into our hospitals.
" But the Victorian Healthcare Association - which represents the state's public hospitals - condemned the cuts, with CEO Leigh Clarke saying services would be lost if the government insisted on the current budgets. "If the Victorian government doesn't change course, we will inevitably see these cost-cutting measures ripple through the system with significant consequences for the delivery of care and services in the community," Ms Clarke said. Bendigo Health CEO Eileen H.
