If there’s anything that can emphasise the importance of a well-resourced, extensive, and effective healthcare system, it’s a global pandemic.
As we are all aware, the past few years have placed a monumental strain on our hospitals, healthcare workers, mental health services, and healthcare system as a whole.
From rising fees and impossible-to-find appointments at GP clinics, to excruciating wait times at emergency departments, the Victorian system is overburdened and failing to meet the needs of our growing population.
Nowhere is the grim state of Victoria’s healthcare system more evident than in the Northern Metropolitan Region. The Northern Health catchment covers three of the state’s six growth areas: Hume, Whittlesea and Mitchell. The North is currently experiencing more growth than Perth, which means that demand for healthcare in the region is only going to intensify. The swift development of new Northern suburbs will see its population increase by 17%, or 85,000 people, by 2026. Yet, the weight of this growing region’s healthcare needs teeters on the services of an underfunded, under-resourced hospital with only 400 beds.
The Northern Hospital has the busiest emergency department in the state, treating approximately 100,000 each year. However, the amount of Victorians who depend on its care and the extent of their needs are severely mismatched with its access to resources, staff, and funding. Its services are overwhelmed, and an overwhelmed hospital risks not only the lives of patients but the mental health and well-being of its staff.
When we talk to residents in the Northern Health catchment, we continually hear about impossibly long wait times, burnt-out healthcare workers, and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities being unable to access crucial care.
Solving the State’s burgeoning healthcare crisis will require more than just upgrading the Northern Hospital. That's why this election we will be calling for:
A new hospital in the north, not just an upgraded Northern hospital.
An urgent recovery plan for our state’s healthcare system, via parliamentary inquiry, to ensure our system is adequately resourced with supported and appreciated staff.
Serious investment in mental health across all regions,and early intervention, particularly for young people
So far, the government has promised the throw money at a brisk and mortar solution that ignores the patients and healthcare workers at the heart of our system. At Reason, we believe that an accessible, comprehensive, strong healthcare system is only be built when we focus people at its core.
Reason gives a shit about Victoria’s healthcare system & building a new hospital in the North. If you do too and want to support our campaign, click here to lend a hand.