A Western Health staff member has voiced concern the health service has had its budget cut by the state government.
The unnamed staff member voiced the concerns online, amid news the health service was facing a hiring freeze.
“Significantly reduced budgets have just been given down by the state government which will include closing of some hospital services, job cuts and cancellation of elective surgeries,” the worker said.
“There is an immediate recruitment freeze across every single department at my hospital. This is going to cause the most terrible flow on effects for patients. Our health services are already understaffed and now more will lose jobs. We are worried patients will die with such critically understaffed hospitals.”
A Western Health spokesperson said there are ongoing conversations about its budget to ensure the best outcome for the community.
“Western Health is still working with the Department of Health to agree on a final budget that will aim to support the health care needs of the growing community of the west,” the spokesperson said.
“Health care services operate in a complex and challenging setting and we are taking active steps to respond to a constrained fiscal environment, such as recruitment holds, capital expenditure and preventing travel at this time, aimed at having minimal impact in providing best quality treatment, care, research and education for the people of the west.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said the state government is working to provide the best care it can.
“The Victorian Government is investing around $20 billion in our health services over the next year alone – that’s more than 25 per cent of Victoria’s entire expenditure and includes an uplift in the price we pay hospitals for every occasion of care,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re working with all public health services to finalise the 2024-25 budgets and ensure funding is focused on frontline care.”
Opposition health spokesperson Georgie Crozier said the funding cuts would have a profound impact on hospitals being able to deliver safe patient care.
“Labor’s ongoing mismanagement of health will see a loss of services and a loss of frontline jobs that will impact the delivery of safe patient care,” she said.
“Victoria’s health services need to be supported, not being bought to their knees because of Labor’s savage funding cuts.”
