Premier

Scott Morrison’s Plans To Short Change Ballarat Hospital

13 September 2018

Scott Morrison and the Federal Liberals must rule out another round of savage cuts to Ballarat’s health system, which could see millions of dollars in agreed funding clawed back by Canberra.

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy has written to her Federal counterpart to warn the Federal Liberals against shifting the goal posts and clawing back their fair share of funding to Victoria’s hospitals.

Scott Morrison has form when it comes to short-changing Victorian hospitals. When he was Treasurer, he intervened and interfered with an agreed activity-based funding model that ensures the Commonwealth pays its share.

Mr Morrison’s “audit” meant that services were retrospectively “regraded”, and hospitals received less funding from the Commonwealth for services they had already provided, ultimately slashing $104 million from our health service.

Now, a new round of “adjustments” will see the Federal Government immediately claw back $201 million for services already provided by Victorian hospitals over the past three years – and $67 million for every year now on.

In Ballarat, that means $5.3 million will be clawed back immediately, plus $1.8 million each year going forward. That’s the equivalent of 429 hip replacements, 13,805 dialysis procedures or 6393 chemotherapy treatments.

Cuts to health are in the Liberals’ DNA. They cut, close and privatise whenever they get the chance, leaving patients worse off.

The Victorian Liberals cut a billion dollars from health when they were last in office. To make matters worse, Matthew Guy is cheering from the sidelines as Scott Morrison threatens to short change Victorian doctors, nurses and patients once more.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy

“Scott Morrison stared down the barrel of a camera and told Victorians he’s on their side. He needs to put his money where his mouth is and keep his hands off our hospitals.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard

“The Liberals’ cuts will have a real impact on people who depend on Ballarat Base Hospital to receive high-quality healthcare close to home.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight

“If the Liberals push ahead with plans to claw back millions of dollars from our hospital, every doctor, nurse and patient will suffer.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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