ANNOUNCEMENTS in recent weeks by neighbouring health services, Bass Coast Health (BCH) and Gippsland Southern Health Service (GSHS), that they want to join the Bayside Local Health Network and not a Gippsland group of hospitals has not altered the resolve of South Gippsland Hospital (SGH) at Foster.
Following its annual general meeting on Thursday, December 12, at which no mention was made of the elephant in the room, the impending reform of hospital management statewide, Board Chair of South Gippsland Hospital, Damon Stynes, said SGH remained committed to the concept of a Gippsland Local Health Service Network, with Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) as the provider of the most complex care needs within the region.
“Nothing has changed for us,” said Mr Stynes.
“Logically, we are part of Gippsland, and we already have established links with Traralgon. We said that to the Health Minister (Mary-Anne Thomas) when she visited the hospital recently.”
Asked if they would still do their proper due diligence on policies, procedures and activity at Latrobe Regional Hospital before committing to a network where high-level management and care would be provided by LRH, Mr Stynes said they weren’t making their decision on the basis of a glossy hospital brochure.
“We have great confidence in what we do here, but a lot of things are already done at Traralgon,” he said.
“We get some things from Bass Coast, and I can’t see that changing in a hurry. It’s not like they’ll be leaving the district.”
The following statement was issued in November after the Health Minister’s visit to Foster in October:
“South Gippsland Hospital is supportive of its proposed grouping to remain in Gippsland. SGH believes that the Gippsland Health Service Network is where we belong. Retaining our rural and remote identity, and remaining in Gippsland is important to us. SGH looks forward to working in collaboration with Network partners in a constructive way.”
Mr Stynes said this remained the case.
While he acknowledged that without BCH and GSHS, the Gippsland network could fall below the population level of 200,000, described by the expert advisory committee, in its Health Services Plan, as “meeting the threshold scale to meaningfully support health outcomes” in regional areas, he said the area regularly swelled with visitors using the region’s hospitals.
"Sandy Point, for example, has one of the biggest expansions in its resident population over holiday periods and they access our health service,” he said.
Following her visit to Foster and a subsequent meeting with SGH officials on November 27, the Minister went on to say that the reforms to hospital management and operations would “go live” from July 1, 2025.
“Hospitals are uniting across regions to form Local Health Service Networks. The purpose of these Networks is to work together to provide Victorians with greater access to health care services, closer to home,” said Minister Thomas at the time.
“The Networks will use their resources to provide more options to patients who need treatment and care that cannot be provided by their local hospital. Each Network will also team up with a major tertiary, women’s and children’s hospital.”
Under the state government’s Health Services Plan, five Local Health Service Networks are to be established in regional areas, and six in Melbourne metro areas.
The Gippsland network is supposed to include the following hospitals: Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Bass Coast Health, Central Gippsland Health Service, Gippsland Southern Health Service, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Omeo District Health, Orbost Regional Health, South Gippsland Hospital, and Yarram & District Health Service.
However, both Bass Coast Health (Wonthaggi, Cowes) and Gippsland Southern Health Service (Leongatha, Korumburra) are adamant they will link with the Bayside network including Alfred Health, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health, in partnership with Calvary Health Care Bethlehem (denominational).
West Gippsland Healthcare Group, which operates the West Gippsland Hospital at Warragul, is projected to link up with Monash Health, reflecting the strong flow of patients from the Warragul-Drouin District of the Baw Baw municipality towards metropolitan Melbourne.
Latrobe Regional Hospital officials including Chair of the Board of Directors Linda McCoy and Chief Executive Don McRae also attended last Thursday’s annual general meeting at South Gippsland Hospital, Foster.
