VICTORIAN Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews believes the continued success of Albury-Wodonga Health hinges on whether the Baillieu government adequately funds the service.
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As the Victorian health minister during the formation of the service in 2009 Mr Andrews yesterday said he was happy with its progress.
But he said the challenge was ensuring it continued to be satisfactorily funded.
“You’ve got passionate staff that are highly skilled, you’ve got the right concept, in terms of one service for what is effectively one large regional centre, you’ve got a board and management who are determined to make it work,” Mr Andrews said.
“Ultimately I think this comes down to whether Ted Baillieu provides sufficient financial support so that more patients can get treated faster.”
Last month Albury-Wodonga Health announced it would seek further funding from the government as it aims to make inroads on an elective surgery waiting list of 3700 patients.
“This is a very challenging year in terms of budgets for hospitals ... and I think there are a number of hospitals that are really struggling to treat more patients with the same amount of money as they had last year,” Mr Andrews said.
Mr Andrews was in the North East to address year 12 students at Galen Catholic College, where he graduated in 1990.
“This is a unique time in their life and that they should be serious about it,” Mr Andrews said of the students.
“But at the same time they’ve got to actually enjoy it and have fun.”
