By KATH GANNAWAY
THERE was overwhelming support on Wednesday night (27 March) for a return to a community-run hospital and health service in the Yarra Valley.
The Healesville Memorial Hall was packed again, with around 250 people returning for a third public meeting organised by the Save Healesville Hospital Community Group (SHHCG) to secure the future of the Healesville and District Hospital and other services currently provided by Eastern Health across the Yarra Valley.
A show of hands showed 100 per cent support for a rural hospital health model against the option of remaining with Eastern Health under their 2022 Strategic Clinical Service Plan (SCSP), which contentiously recommended, among other things, moving the hospital’s surgery unit to Lilydale.
A final motion, again supported 100 per cent, called for support from both governments to develop a business management plan to identify the best model for the hospital site and including Yarra Valley Community Health and Monda Lodge.
The resolution came at the end of an often emotion-charged meeting with personal stories from community members on the hardships of accessing health services down the line and the benefits of local services. Former Healesville and District Hospital board members and local GPs also spoke.
SHHCG chair Fiona McAllister provided an overview of the group’s work to date, including a report on their meeting with the board of Eastern Health to discuss the SCSP, the CEO of Kooweerup Regional Health Service, Terrona Ramsay spoke on how their move to a rural model has worked and SHHCG committee member Jane Judd reported on what the stand-alone option would mean for Healesville.
Among issues raised were the lack of communication from the Eastern Health Board following the meeting, rumours of contracting out of services, asset stripping and a loss of confidence in Eastern Health’s ability to differentiate the Yarra Valley as a rural community.
“We were previously given a promise that nothing significant would happen,” Ms Judd said pointing to the recent changes, without consultation, to the payment system for visiting specialists which she said was a subversive move that had effectively cuts any incentive for specialists such as surgeons and anaesthetists to come to Healesville.
“We weren’t consulted about the closure of maternity and the assets were dispersed across Eastern Health. If they close surgery and dismantle it, it will be a massive burden to try to replace it,” she said.
Ms Judd said their research to date had indicated it would take funding of between $10 million and $15 million to establish a rural health service.
Critically, with a federal election looming and a state election in 2014, the community had the collective ear of local politicians – Casey (federal) MP Tony Smith, McEwen (federal) endorsed candidate Cathy Farrell, Seymour (state) MP Cindy McLeish and State Shadow Minister for Health Gavin Jennings.
The essential message was that the SHHCG needed to meet with State Health Minister David Davis.
“You need to identify the best case for Healesville and push that case,” Mr Smith said. “We all want to see this spiral end.”
“If it does require moving to a rural hospital as opposed to rectifying things with Eastern Health and that is verified through some further and independent analysis … if it’s the best way forward, I am all for it,” he said.
Ms McLeish said Mr Davis was well aware of the situation.
“Healesville is very much at the front of David Davis’s mind,” she said adding that he was keen for surgery to continue.
Mr Jennings urged the SHHCG to “leave no stone unturned to extract the best deal you can,” saying they had put the Eastern Health Board under pressure.
But he also encouraged them also to look at the Kyneton situation where he said their small rural model had broken down.
“Go into this exercise with your eyes completely open,” he said.
Ms McAllister said the time was right to get the Yarra Valley the type of health services it needed.
“We have people prepared to stand in both state and federal elections on this issue,” she said.
“Tonight is about the beginning.”
