Our thoughts are with Geelong patients and staff today, with news Geelong Private Hospital will close its doors.
The private provider today announced it is no longer financially sustainable, and will shut within weeks.
The Liberals broke a key election promise to build a second public hospital for Geelong before the 2010 election, instead signing up to a secret, dodgy deal that saw another private hospital thrown into the mix at Waurn Ponds.
That secret deal sounded a death knell for the Geelong Private Hospital, and the Geelong community never got the public hospital it was promised.
Andrew Katos made a big song and dance when the Liberals promised another public hospital, but he was nowhere to be found when failed former Minister for Health David Davis axed those plans and instead exposed Geelong to another private hospital.
It was good news for another private provider, but bad news for Geelong patients and our hard-working doctors and nurses.
It’s yet more proof the Liberals just can’t help themselves – they cut public health care and close hospitals.
While the Liberals cut, the Government is getting on with the job of delivering the bolstered $33 million Barwon Health North project, which will include an urgent care centre, medical imaging, pathology, pharmacy, consulting suites and renal dialysis services to give patients in Geelong more access to services, closer to home.
Barwon Health is working with HealthScope to ensure continuity of care for patients, and will continue to provide the public services currently being delivered on the site.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“Our thoughts are with patients and staff who will be affected by these closures. We understand this is a difficult time for them.”
“The Liberals must explain themselves. They broke a promise, signing up to a dud deal that lined the coffers of another private provider that has ultimately caused this hospital to close.”
“This is more proof that you can’t trust the Liberals when it comes to health care. All they do is close hospitals and cut health funding – it’s in their DNA.”
Quote attributable to Member for Geelong Christine Couzens
“People in Geelong deserve access to affordable, high quality and safe care. That’s why we’ll be working with Barwon Health and the community to ensure that the change doesn’t impact access to health services in the region.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020