Tuesday, 7 February 2023

Health and wellbeing data

David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:53): (16) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health in the other place. Section 21(c) of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 establishes a requirement for the chief health officer:

to publish on a biennial basis and make available in an accessible manner to members of the public a comprehensive report on public health and wellbeing in Victoria …

The last report available on the Department of Health website is the 2019 report. While the reports are generally produced every two years, this report was simply a snapshot of 2019.

I was made aware of the absence of this report back in late 2021 but chose not to raise it at the time, as it seemed a little petty to focus on a missing report given the unique circumstances at that time. If you open the document as it is currently published, it states in the introduction:

This report, published as a requirement of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, presents information across a range of key topics that provide a snapshot of the health of Victorians in 2019.

However, at the top of the document it states that it has been authorised by the Victorian government and published in December 2022. There are also some strange references contained within what looks like a recently edited version of the 2019 report citing data from 2021 and 2022.

It is not clear why this was done, but if this is some kind of attempt to shoehorn this report into being compliant with the requirements of the act, then it is shameful and inappropriate. Whilst the delay in publishing a comprehensive health report for Victorians might be excusable, it is a legislated requirement. It is also quite an important report not just for public health professionals but as a formal document for public consumption. My request for the minister is to ensure that the chief health officer publishes a comprehensive report on public health and wellbeing in Victoria as soon as possible.