Health services
Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Health. Under Labor, regional public hospitals receive less funding than public hospitals in Melbourne to carry out the same procedures. How did the government calculate the amount of funding provided under the new pricing structure, which disadvantages regional hospitals?
Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:38): I welcome the question from the member for Lowan. Again it gives me an opportunity to inform the house of our $20 billion investment into our hospitals this year alone. We are providing our health services with the funding that they need to deliver the care and services that their communities expect. We have delivered an uplift in price to every health service in the state. That is what our health services asked us to do. They asked that we increase the price that we pay for the activity that is delivered in our health services, and in line with the national model, the Victorian efficient price is based on cost data which is submitted by health services. That is what drives the price that we then pay – a price, I might say, that has been uplifted this year.
Costs differ for a range of complex reasons across our health service system. I would not expect those on the other side to want to engage with the complexities of running a $20 billion hospital system, but I can point out that the reasons include patient acuity, labour costs statewide and specialist services. And I might say that a majority of hospitals right across rural and regional Victoria are receiving higher payments, reflecting the higher costs of paying for care in rural Victoria.
Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:40): Under the government’s new pricing structure, a public hospital in Melbourne will receive $25,608 from the state government for hip replacement surgery. Public hospitals in the regions, such as Ballarat base, will only receive $23,864 for the exact same procedure. Why are regional public hospitals not getting their fair share of funding when they carry out exactly the same procedures as public hospitals in Melbourne?
Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:41): I have actually already answered the question, but it gives me an opportunity for the benefit of the member on the other side to reiterate that we pay hospitals the price that it costs them to deliver the service. But the member did talk about Ballarat hospital, and I had a great opportunity to be there last week with the member for Wendouree, who has advocated so strongly, along with the member for Eureka and our dear friend the member for Ripon –
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this is precisely the same procedure conducted in a regional hospital as in Melbourne. I ask the minister to come back and explain why regional Victoria always misses out under Labor.
The SPEAKER: I appreciate the member for Lowan’s passion about this issue; it is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The minister was being relevant. The minister strayed somewhat from the question, but I believe the minister had already answered the question.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: The member did ask me about Ballarat Base Hospital. As I said, I was there last week. Stage 2 is now complete. That has delivered all of the equipment – heating, cooling and so on – as well as pharmacy, education and training, and pathology, and now the new tower will be delivered and opened by 2027.