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BENDIGO Hospital’s waiting list will grow to 1500, about one in seven acute beds will close, mental health services will be slashed and emergency waiting times will increase under “unprecedented” funding cuts, according to hospital bosses.
Bendigo Health chief executive John Mulder and chairman Michael Langdon yesterday revealed the full impact of the loss of $2.9 million in federal government money from its budget halfway through the financial year. Dr Langdon said 600 fewer elective surgery waiting cases would be held between Easter and June 30.
“If someone’s grandmother is going to have a hip replacement, or someone’s father who may need their knee redone or replaced, they’ll be further back on the waiting list,” he said.
“Essentially, for the people in Bendigo and our region, there will be 600 stories of people who are going to be disappointed and will have to wait.
“There will be 600 families who will be impacted by this. We’re very aware of that, and we don’t take these measures lightly.”
Dr Langdon said the hospital had tried to avoid staff redundancies and that employees needed to work with the hospital over the changes.
The waiting list has grown from 976 in early December to 1039 on January 20.
Twenty-four of 171 acute beds will close at the hospital, and $100,000 in mental health spending will be cut by not recruiting for vacancies and reducing after-hours services at regional locations.
The changes are likely to mean those presenting with mental health problems at outlying hospitals out of hours will be transported to Bendigo Hospital for treatment.
Mr Mulder said the waiting list had been about 600 to 800 during his five years at Bendigo Health and that he couldn’t recall it being above 1000.
“Clearly those who are waiting for care now will suffer significant impact,” he said.
“It will be an extended wait, absolutely.
“I can’t give you an exact time in terms of weeks.
“It’s unprecedented.
“We just don’t do business like this... it’s the first time we’ve had a challenge such as this.”
Mr Mulder said the amount promised to this year’s hospital pool by the state government had stayed the same, but the federal government’s contribution had decreased.
“The payments to Bendigo Health from December have been reduced by about $200,000 per payment.
“(The federal government) funds us directly.
“You can’t take $107 million out of that pool without it having a direct impact on how we provide health care.
“They’re the facts on the matter and a lot of people said it’s been politicised, but it’s not about politics – it’s about people missing out on care.”
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