Last-minute reprieve extends hospital service

A last-minute reprieve from a Geelong-based health board will see urgent care at Colac’s Hospital remain open overnight for at least three months.

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19 Responses to “Last-minute reprieve extends hospital service”

  1. William Ryan

    We all realise the great news is only short-lived. It does buy time for a more acceptable answer to be found. Is the CAH Board searching for the more acceptable answer? I wonder. The great news more importantly may save lives and prevent significant permanent harm and relieve excruciating pain……it will also prevent the “blood” falling onto the hands of the CEO and Board when one of the possible lives saved may have been a life lost.

  2. Great to see Barwon Medicare local- a federal government agency addressing the funding shortfall created by baillieus cuts

  3. Thank you to Jason Trethowan and all of the members of Barwon Medical Local. It is fantastic to have someone who is able to give our Community, the Board and CAH Executive the chance to find a resolution and hopefully some full term funding for our Urgent Care Centre. Congratultions to all involved in making this possible.

  4. christine nicholls

    I pray this agreement has nothing to do with the birregurra health Centre we work very hard to make it work and I don,t think we should be punished because colac have money problems.

  5. Chris Smith

    This reprieve has come about because the CAH Board has spent many hours working, to find a way to fix the issue of being forced to close UC because of the sudden withdrawal of federal government funding. It is so pleasing to have BML come to our communities rescue when our Federal Members only answer was to dismiss the very people working the hardest to find a solution. Obviously the very passionate response from our community has helped the board and BML in achieving this. Now to find the longer term solution. Working together we can !!!!

    1. Chris, the state member could have easily increased the hospitals allowable “deficit” just as it was in the previous years.
      See you carrying on about the federal cuts, and saying nothing about the state cuts stinks to high heaven of political interference. Your kissing up to Sarah Henderson on facebook, when she has given NO commitments at all, combined with your posts above really bring your “unbiased” position into doubt.

      It’d be nice Chris if you actually started focusing on the real job. Post facts about real figures. Include ALL the figures, including state government cut backs which you guys are managing as bed closures. Include the real facts about the massive federal funding injections we have got into capital works: something like $5M of the last couple of years. Include real figures about how you can’t even get the state to fund capital works such as improving the hospital kitchen. And most of all stop playing politics.

      1. Brian Crook

        You are right on the money with your comments Bill. Lets not tell the politically convenient half story. And who signed up to this funding formula – our premier Ted Bailleau.

  6. Brian Crook

    Fantastic news for the short term. Hopefully State and Fed governments can sort this out inside 3 months. A big Thankyou to Jason Trethowan, the CEO from Medicare local. This will buy time for the board to also come up with a more acceptable solution.

  7. Phil Alexander

    Well, Terry Mulder sure can’t. (take any credit, that is). He is too busy making a mess of the State’s transport system. Yes, I know I criticise Terry a lot but I can’t stand incompetence.

    1. Chris Smith

      I’m not politically aligned. But actually Mr Mulder has been involved ( as seen on WIN news tonight ). Mr Cheeseman on the the other hand has done nothing other than to try to dismiss the ones who have been working the hardest to maintain a 24/7 Urgent Care. Also lets be very very clear State cuts have effected parts of CAH budget but it was the sudden Federal Governments cuts that forced the Board into the heart wrenching decision to close UC

      1. Seriously Chris, stop playing your political rhetoric: the people are getting sick of it. The “sudden” change in federal funding was known of in Aug/Sept last year. You seem to be constantly trying to paint it as the federal government forced you to close the emergency department, but reality is they don’t fund that department directly (state typically has the responsibility there).

        What this aid from BML shows us is that a better decision can hopefully be made. That is the job of the board, one you guys clearly failed at.
        The reality is, in an operating budget of about $40 M, you guys were unable to internally find the “deficit” powers to fund $75K to do the same without causing all this raucous? That’s less than 0.2%, or basically a bit over half a day’s budget ?

        The real shame is you guys failed to consult with the community; failed to consult with the doctors; failed to consult with the ambulance.
        That’s why there was a community meeting: something you clearly still don’t get.

  8. Yay for us! Colac seems to be having some luck at last, Wettenhalls continuing and BML helping out. Maybe everyone should go and buy a Lotto ticket, surely somebody would get a winner and be able to help out for longer.

  9. Now organise some fund-raisers, ask for donations from locals and businesses, and see how much we can come up with – surely this community can come up with a reasonable amount of money? How about $5 each – 11k odd people in Colac alone, include surrounding areas – that’s at least another two months negotiation time

    Cmon and set something up already – the community wants this service – we’ll help keep it if you let us!

    1. Any politician taking credit for this reprieve will be voting themselves out of office.
      When they turn up with the funding in their fat little hands, then, and only then, will we believe they’ve actually helped instead of point-scoring,

    2. Chris Smith

      He had better not try. His only solution was to dismiss the ones working the hardest to find a solution .

      1. Chris, you clearly still don’t get it. You are the one who failed to consult with doctors, ambulance or the community. You couldn’t even find “funding” to cover less than one days operating costs and so YOU decided to close the emergency department.
        You are the reason there has been the huge community backlash. And instead of focusing on fixing the cure, here you are playing childish tit for tat nonsense. Shame on you. Really.

      2. Chris – i think the message you need to take back to the board is this :-

        Doctors expected to be consulted.
        Ambulance service officers expected to be consulted.
        Hospital staff expected to be consulted.
        The community expected to be consulted.

        We don’t understand why closing the emergency department was seen as the best option.
        What were the other options discussed?
        Could consultation with others have come up with other options?
        Was consultation with others even considered?

        We want answers, not political point scoring.

        Now you have two months reprieve to sort something out. What is the board doing to find the funding needed? Who are they consulting? Are you listening to suggestions put forward? Will you even accept suggestions?

        I think the message from everyone here is that we are not willing to lose our emergency department.

        Now the job is to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that we don’t.

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