The crisis engulfing Victorian regional health demonstrates the importance of holding Labor accountable and fixing primary and preventative healthcare, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster says.

Regional Victorians’ lives will be at risk as local hospitals reportedly face “inevitable closures”, amalgamations or sweeping job losses after the Allan Labor Government’s order to slash costs ahead of the May state budget, according to Member for Mallee Dr Webster.

“The risk of closing hospitals has been foreseeable, something I have been calling out whenever I get a chance and is a disaster waiting to happen,” Dr Webster said.  “Regional Victorian healthcare has been in crisis with thin workforces and a lack of services as the Andrews-Allan Labor Government centralises services to Melbourne and distant cities.”

Dr Webster praised local doctors and primary healthcare professionals in the regions that keep regional Victorians out of acute care in hospitals. The Shadow Assistant Minister warned primary healthcare will need even greater support if, God forbid, local hospitals close.

“While Victorian Labor mishandles regional hospitals, the Albanese Labor Federal Government continues to neglect regional primary health,” she said.

“Primary health can prevent patients presenting with acute care needs at a local hospital. Instead of supporting primary health, Federal Labor bled the regions of International Medical Graduate doctors by expanding the Distribution Priority Areas to funnel them to peri-urban settings.

“Labor’s limited tripled Medicare Bulk Billing Incentives for pensioners, concession card holders and children are of no benefit to regional Australians if they cannot see a doctor.

“Time and again Labor shows they rob the regions to buy votes in the city.”

Dr Webster said she was so concerned about regional health care after becoming Shadow Assistant Minister last January that she staged two national summits, on the Regional Health Workforce and Regional Aged Care, in Mildura last year. The Shadow Assistant Minister said she will be taking comprehensive and bold regional health policy to take to the next election.

“Regional Australia desperately needs a fit-for-purpose healthcare model that respects and appreciates rural and remote areas’ diabolical infrastructure and workforce limitations,” she said.

“Regional Australia’s primary healthcare system has been ignored for far too long and it should not take the closure of regional hospitals to humiliate the Albanese Labor Government into action.”