Constituency Question: Health Services

Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) (12:01:52) — (14 412) My constituency question is to the Minister for Health. How is the Andrews Labor government planning for future health services in the Yuroke electorate? From the new supercare pharmacy in Craigieburn to a huge investment in improving the Northern Hospital, this government has done outstanding work to improve health services for Yuroke residents. With rapid population growth, I know that residents and stakeholders across my community are keen to know that into the future they will continue to access quality health care close to home when they need it most.

Response:

The Victorian Government’s $162.7 million investment to expand the Northern Hospital in Epping will ensure that health service provision keeps pace with anticipated population growth across Melbourne’s northern suburbs, including in the electorate of Yuroke. Work is already underway on the project, which will allow 10,000 additional patients to be treated each year and will include additional beds and operating theatres. Extra space is also earmarked for future expansions of cardiology services, catheterisation labs and medical imaging. Construction is expected to be completed in 2021.

In 2017-18, Northern Health received $411.05 million in recurrent funding from the Victorian Government. Building on this base, Northern Health will receive $481.23 million in 2018-19, an increase of 17.1 per cent.

We have released a Statewide design, services and infrastructure plan for Victoria’s Health System 2017-2037, which sets out priorities for how we will configure and invest in health service and infrastructure capacity to better respond to changing population needs and growth.

Under the plan, we commit to the establishment of health and wellbeing hubs in locations with high projected population growth. The hubs will provide a range of integrated health and social services in convenient locations. These services may include extended hours medical centres that provide diagnostic services such as medical imaging and pathology, pharmacy and other services.

The needs of the Yuroke electorate will be considered in this context, having regard also for the emerging local priorities identified by the Northern Metropolitan Partnership.

Hon Jill Hennessy MP
Minister for Health