Vol. No. Vol. 2618No. 6 27
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Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, August13, 9, 2023
READY TO FLY: Horsham’s Avenue Dance Studio students are preparing to take the Horsham Town Hall stage for their annual concert on Sunday. Pictured during a concert rehearsal are, from left, Letty Roberts, Zaya Johnstone, Frankie Wade, Laila Barnett, Ollie Askew, front, Lacey Adams, Rose Perry, Hazel Penfold and Edie Mibus. Details, more pictures, page 23. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
‘No confidence’ vote BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
N
orthern Grampians Shire leaders have called for State Government intervention into health service delivery at Stawell.
The council has passed a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Grampians Health, calling for urgent attention to improve services and service provision at Stawell hospital – while acknowledging the community’s ‘gratitude and ongoing appreciation’ to staff, both at Grampians Health and the broader health workforce. However, Grampians Health’s chief Dale Fraser has reinforced his ‘unremitting goal’ to maintain care, locally – including increasing services
to Stawell since its merger with Wimmera Health Care Group, Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital and Ballarat Health Services to create Grampians Health in late 2021. Northern Grampians councillor Rob Haswell, who put forward the motion, said Stawell did not have enough doctors to service its population and was challenged to attract healthcare professionals to the region – acknowledging both were challenges across regional areas more broadly. He said the amalgamation had promised an ‘improved and more efficient health service’ but people were contacting him regularly with concerns. “Many healthcare services we once
took for granted are now either severely limited or unavailable,” he said. “I believe this is due to the many ill-conceived decisions Grampians Health has made that are not in the public interest.” Cr Murray Emerson said the motion sought to bring the State Government’s attention to the community’s concerns, which were also raised at a public meeting earlier this year. “This community may well be affected by this decision of council,” he told a meeting at St Arnaud on Monday. “It certainly will be affected. It will make sure this community, along with any other communities, don’t suffer a poor health system any longer.”
Mayor Kevin Erwin said the council had attempted to speak with the Grampians Health board and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. “If the health system is not working in Victoria, the State Government needs to look at it seriously,” he said. The motion passed 4-2, with Crs Eddy Ostarcevic and Lauren Dempsey voting against. Cr Karen Hyslop was absent. Cr Ostarcevic said the motion was necessary, though misdirected. He said the health service’s clinical services plan guided service delivery and, if viewed inadequate, the council should raise this with the Grampians Health board and executive.
“Conflict and adversarial reaction is certainly not going to put the shire in a favourable position to attract GPs and other allied medical services,” he said. “It is misdirected and it should be directed to state authorities who have imposed these frameworks – which exist to minimise risk to patients, whether we agree with them or not.” Cr Dempsey said the motion was ‘divisive’ and had the potential to exacerbate existing abuse and trauma of staff. “I question if the amalgamation wasn’t to occur, what situation we would be in, as a community and as a local health service? We would potentially be in a worse position,” she said. Continued page 5
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