Tuesday, 29 October 2024

 Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (19:00): (881) My matter this evening is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to sort out the mess that patient transport has become for those living in and around Alexandra who require dialysis in Seymour, almost an hour away. The minister needs to find a proper and enduring solution to address the shambles patient transport has become.

By way of background, on 24 September patients were notified by Seymour Health that their transport funded by Ambulance Victoria would cease. This was to happen almost immediately, but I understand it was extended to finish on 8 October. Further, patients were advised that if they could not find their own way there, their treatment too would be discontinued. This is exceptionally distressing as dialysis is a life-saving treatment. I do want to commend the staff at the Seymour hospital, who have shown care, dedication and compassion trying to help patients find a solution to the matter, and it was a real scramble to find a solution in the short term.

National Patient Transport has been deployed in recent weeks, but that too has whiskers on it and has not been reliable. There has been inconsistent pick-up notification of times for pick-up and return. It needs to be booked two weeks in advance despite there being a permanent need. It is not available on Saturday and some patients have treatment on Saturday, so then transport is provided by a two-member ambulance crew which can be diverted to emergencies at any time. The use of ambulances obviously leaves the rest of the community with reduced services or even without access to that emergency assistance.

There are also impacts on the health service. The dialysis machine has to be prepared ahead of the patient’s arrival, and the fluid required has a lifetime of 2 hours. If the dialysis patient is late, the fluid has to be discarded and the machine has to be prepared again, thereby incurring additional costs and delays. The Seymour dialysis staff have to be finished with the patients and their paperwork as well as sterilising the machines by 3:30. The staff are put under stress if patients are late.

There are a couple of options. I understand that the state is broke, and Ambulance Victoria have had their fair share of issues. The cost of a private taxi between Alex and Seymour is $183 each way. I suggest the government undertake a cost–benefit analysis to determine the feasibility of having dialysis chairs in Alexandra. There are currently 10 patients in the Murrindindi shire requiring dialysis, and I also understand that the transport situation is the same for cancer patients requiring treatment. There are solutions, and I urge the minister to intervene to make sure that they are implemented on a permanent basis.