The board is undertaking this project to look at ways to further enhance the partnerships between the health services to provide safe and accessible care closer to home.
Any partnership options being explored would focus on enhancing service delivery and creating better health outcomes for local people across the Wimmera. There would be no loss of services.
The community has participated in a range of consultation activities during the past three months – from October 30 to February 15.
We have engaged with more than 1000 people through consultation sessions – online and in-person; surveys; meetings with individuals, key groups and organisations; pop-up stands; submissions and feedback forms.
It has been great to hear the views of a wide range of community and team members about their priorities for the future of health services, and the opportunities and challenges of forming a partnership or voluntary amalgamation.
In the coming weeks, we will be meeting with a number of specific groups about their needs and we will be talking with communities through more pop-up stands.
We will share what we have heard from the community through a consultation report in the next few weeks.
A due-diligence assessment is being undertaken in relation to workforce, financial, service delivery and governance impacts of any partnership.
Challenges we need to address are –
• People are travelling great distances to get the health care they need, and this should be provided close to home.
• Wimmera residents experience higher levels of chronic illness and ill health compared with the rest of rural and metropolitan Victoria. The population is ageing and will need greater access to health care. More services are needed.
• Attracting and retaining health care professionals – workforce/specialists – is becoming increasingly difficult, with gaps in a few critical clinical areas.
• We need to strengthen capability – with the right support, we can increase capability to deliver more services locally, at Horsham and across the region for the future.
• Exploring options is important to ensure the sustainability of health services for the future. Issues such as workforce shortages, financial constraint, infrastructure limitations and increasing governance expectations and obligations have been pressing issues for some years. The current approach to healthcare governance and service delivery is unsustainable and requires change.
Community feedback
A comprehensive report will be prepared. Some examples of themes that have been coming out of the consultation include:
• Improved services such as: mental health, maternity, chronic-illness support, dental, in-home care, orthopaedic surgeons, paediatrics, heart and cancer services, and the ability to be treated at Horsham.
• Better access to health care locally without having to travel.
• Safe and effective health services for the future and long-term sustainability.
• More services, broader range of services, improved services and reduced wait times.
• Strengthened workforce with more training/development, increased skills and capacity and career opportunities.
• More jobs/staff to address shortages.
• More and a greater variety of doctors and specialists.
• New buildings and more high-technology equipment locally.
• Expanded emergency department and operating suite.
• A new aged-care facility and more aged-care services.
• A new mental-health facility.
• More telehealth, supported by experts.
• More funding and beds.
• Better referral pathways and processes.
Facts
Topics have been raised at consultation sessions and we have advised the following:
• A decision has not been made on a partnership or a voluntary amalgamation.
With any partnership/options being explored, please note:
• There will be no loss of services. Health services will be enhanced and clinical services will increase to meet the needs of our community. The focus is on attracting additional specialists, doctors and staff to address gaps and provide more services.
• Services will be local. Local hospitals will remain in place with local naming and identity. Local history and identity are important. Horsham would remain as Horsham, Dimboola as Dimboola, Ballarat as Ballarat. The aim of the partnership project is to strengthen services for local communities, close to home, at each location.
• Fundraising would stay local and funds would be used as intended. Funds raised for a particular location or purpose will remain.
• There would continue to be staff and management represented at all locations to ensure local decisions are made on the ground where and when they are needed.
• We will continue to keep communities informed through our website, social media, media, meetings/sessions and letters as we work through this process.
We value the input of the community in relation to this important project and communication will be ongoing. For further information, please email partnering@whcg.org.au, call 5381 9293 or visit the website, www.whcg.org.au.
Marie Aitken
Wimmera Health Care Group board chair
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The entire February 24, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire February 24, 2021 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!
