Health services
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:24): (825) My question is to the Treasurer. Has Hospitals Victoria provided advice to your department of a model that will see smaller regional hospitals have activity-based funding rather than be provided with block funding?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:25): I thank Ms Crozier for her question in relation to the interaction between the Department of Treasury and Finance and Hospitals Victoria, and I can confirm that there are lots of conversations that are underway on the important work that Hospitals Victoria are undertaking in relation to supporting our hospitals in the state, but I am not at liberty to go into the conversations that those departments are having.
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:25): So, Treasurer, can you guarantee that smaller regional hospitals will be provided with the necessary block funding to support the ongoing operations that they provide to their communities?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:25): Ms Crozier, we had a bit of a conversation last week in relation to the Labor government’s commitment to health funding. The total government expenditure forecasting on health is around $31.8 billion. We have increased health funding each and every year that we have been in government. We support our hospitals, we support our nurses, we support our healthcare workers, and I am confident that all hospitals in servicing their communities will continue to be supported by this government.
Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, it was a very specific question, President. I know the minister wanted to put her point of view to the house, but I would ask you to draw her back to the specifics of my question.
The PRESIDENT: I thought the minister, at the end of her answer, did answer.