Hospital emergency waiting times will again lengthen and beds will close because of $36 million in budget cuts to Northern Hospital, Scullin MP Andrew Giles has warned.
The MP said the families of Melbourne’s north would be hardest hit by the health funding cuts announced in the federal budget.
“On July 1 this year, the Northern Hospital will have $4.7 million cut from its budget,” Mr Giles said.
“The full effect of these budget cuts will make Northern Health more than
$36 million worse off over the next four years. This cut in funding would pay for almost 7000 surgeries,” he said.
“Such a drastic cut will increase emergency department waiting times, increase elective surgery waiting times and reduce the number of hospital beds.”
Mr Giles said the fast-growing population of Melbourne’s north meant the Epping hospital needed more funds, not less.
“I fear the cuts will result in a decline in the standard of care.”
Mr Giles said that when combined with the government’s new $7 charge for GP visits, blood tests and X-rays, more expensive medicines and cuts to the Medicare Local service, people’s out-of-pocket expenses were going to rise dramatically. “It will be harder for people to seek the care they need when they need it.”
