UPDATE: Benambra MP Bill Tilley has shot back at Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who took to ABC radio to attack him after he highlighted the deaths of 68 people who had been waiting for elective surgery.
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The Liberal politician said Ms Thomas should focus on the long waiting list for operations at Albury Wodonga Health.
"I made it very clear that we weren't provided with the details of those deaths but the fact that people are dying before they get surgery should set off alarm bells for the minister rather than some pithy attack," Mr Tilley said.
"The fact that these deaths are happening at a rate that is 25 per cent higher than the state average should make it even more significant.
"People are presenting to our EDs in a critical state, largely because they are waiting longer for the surgery they need, largely as a result of the fact that there are not enough hospital beds for them to get the surgery they need."
Mr Tilley had stood alongside a display of 68 small white crosses outside Wodonga hospital while making his point on Wednesday, May 8.
"At least the symbolism of those crosses has raised the minister from her slumber on Albury Wodonga Health," he said.
"If she can now confirm the Albury makeover is more than $100 million over budget or just provide the Albury Wodonga Health papers that the Victorian parliament called for in March it would be even better."
EARLIER: Victoria's Health Minister has accused Benambra MP Bill Tilley of being deceptive and twisting her words over the deaths of 68 people who died while on an elective surgery waiting list for Albury Wodonga Health.
Mary-Anne Thomas was responding to Mr Tilley speaking in front of 68 crosses in Wodonga on Wednesday May 8 to mark those who had passed away.
The Wodonga MP was commenting after Ms Thomas, in an answer to a question on notice in parliament, referenced the 68 as those who were removed from a waiting list in 2022-23 "by reason of death".
In an interview with ABC Goulburn Murray radio on the morning of Thursday May 9, Ms Thomas said there was no direct correlation between their deaths and being in the queue for surgery.
"Safer Care Victoria, which is set up to inquire into unexplained deaths in our health service, confirmed that not one of these people died as a consequence of not receiving planned surgery," Ms Thomas said.
"There are a range of reasons why people may pass away and they may even be on a wait list for replacement hip or a cataract surgery, but it is not the cause of death and for Mr Tilley to continue this lie is deeply troubling.
"I've got to say the hard-working staff at Albury Wodonga Health are pretty sick and tired of their work and their health service being talked down by local politicians."
Ms Thomas said: "Mr Tilley knows that what he is saying is both misleading, deceptive and incredibly insensitive to the families that have lost loved ones."
Mr Tilley on November 29, 2023, asked Ms Thomas: "Of the 1395 people who died while waiting for elective surgery in 2022-23: (1) How many were on the surgery waiting list for Albury Wodonga Health?, (2) How many were constituents of the Benambra electorate?"
Ms Thomas provided her answer on February 24, 2024.
It read in full:
"There are appropriate review processes in place if a patient dies as a direct result of waiting for surgery and these are reported by the health service to Safer Care Victoria.
"Safer Care Victoria has advised that there have been no reported sentinel events because of a delay in surgical care in the last financial year.
"Of those who were removed from the planned surgery waiting list by reason of death, 68 were on the waiting list at Albury Wodonga Health and 16 were constituents of the Benambra electorate."
Mr Tilley did acknowledge at his media conference on Wednesday that there could be other factors at play.
"I can't say, nor can anyone say at this stage that they died as a result of being on a waiting list, I'm not trying to allege that for a moment, whether they passed of being older patients and not getting the treatment," Mr Tilley said.
"It doesn't matter, the thing is they were on a waiting list for a significant period of time and they've passed."
