‘Misinformation’: Premier denies CHO claims as health units remain under a cloud

Victoria’s local public health units appear at risk of closure after Premier Jacinta Allan would not unequivocally back their continued operation, while denying the state was struggling to recruit a chief health officer.

Her comments come amid deep uncertainty over the future of the nine suburban and regional public health units, which opened at the height of the COVID crisis to bolster the pandemic response, and as the government is yet to appoint a new chief health officer after a six-month search.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas at the Good Friday Appeal.Credit: Chris Hopkins

This masthead on Friday revealed that public health and infectious-disease experts believe a downgrading of the chief health officer’s authority since the pandemic, and the poor reputation of Victoria’s Health Department, had deterred candidates from applying.

Three sources – unauthorised to discuss internal, departmental matters – said the departmental restructure, which came into effect last February, was the primary reason former chief health officers Dr Clare Looker and Professor Ben Cowie quit last October.

During the pandemic, then chief health officer Brett Sutton became one of the state’s best-known public figures and wielded broad emergency powers, however communicable disease and other operational teams no longer report directly to the role.

But Premier Jacinta Allan claimed the reports about the chief health officer recruitment were not correct, while Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas labelled them “misinformation”.

“This is a global recruitment process being led by my department and we’ll have more to say about it soon,” Thomas said.

Asked if the public health units were at risk of being dismantled, Allan only said that reports “particularly in regard to the chief health officer” were not correct, and directed questions to Thomas.

The public health units were created during the COVID-19 crisis to address weakness in the pandemic response, and the health minister at the time, Martin Foley, predicted they would be a permanent feature of the state’s health system.

The units’ remit was subsequently expanded to include other public health responsibilities for various notifiable conditions.

Former chief health officer Brett Sutton.Credit: Simon Schluter

Questioned on Friday morning, Thomas would not confirm whether the public health units would remain in operation beyond this year, saying she would not pre-empt any budget decisions.

“I need to be very clear, we’ve explained this many times, that our local public health units play a very important role, particularly in health protection, and they are part now of our health service system,” she said.

The fears of cuts to the public health units come at the same time the Allan government moves to scrap underperforming government programs and merge or abolish entire entities, as the state tries to rein in spending and stop sliding further into debt at the May budget.

The mid-year budget update, released in December, showed Victoria’s budget deficit had grown to $3.6 billion, and net debt was forecast to be $187.3 billion in 2028.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.