Health crisis unpacked by Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Opposition’s Georgie Crozier

The future of Victoria’s healthcare system has been laid bare in a face-off between those hoping to lead it.

The future of Victoria’s healthcare system has been laid bare in a face-off between the politicians hoping to lead it after the upcoming state election.

Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was joined by opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier on Nine News to lay out each party’s plan for the embattled sector.

Ms Thomas said the Labor government’s plan was to continue its aggressive international recruitment of overseas nurses and doctors into Victoria.

“We have already employed an additional 26,000 healthcare workers since and we have planned an additional 24,000,” she said.

Georgie Crozier, Victorian Shadow Minister for Health, was quick to hit back at the AMF’s claims it hasn’t been consulted about the Liberals’ plan to recruit 40,000 extra healthcare workers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“And right now, we’ve made it free to study nursing here in Victoria.

“But we’re recruiting internationally right now. We’ve got a key recruiting drive in May to recruit 2000 (more workers).”

However, Ms Crozier was quick to hit back at the AMF’s claims it hasn’t been consulted about the Liberals’ plan to recruit 40,000 extra healthcare workers.

“I have spoken to the AMF, I have spoken to a whole range of stakeholders when I go around the state talking to clinicians, doctors and nurses; they tell me the real pressures that the system is under and unfortunately, too many nurses are leaving,” she said.

“Our plan goes across both the public and the private system, to be able to retrain to give incentives to support nurses and senior management, to support those nurses coming through.

“It’s really critical also to have a task force to identify the skill shortages.”

Ms Crozier went on to say the Liberals were planning to fund their health ambitions through shelving the Cheltenham to Box Hill section of the planned Suburban Rail Loop.

“The government has allocated the $11.8 billion in the budget for this rail project – that is where we are getting our money from,” she said.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas will lead the government’s health plan towards the upcoming state election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

“You’ve got to ask the government where are they getting their money from. Are they going to be increasing the debt? That’s the question for the government to answer.

“We’ve been very clear about our priorities to fix the health system and we’ll shelve the Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line and put every single cent available from that project into the health system.”

Ms Thomas said the state government was more focused on the immediate issues facing both healthcare workers and Victorians who use the embattled system.

“Well, the thing is we’re building our way out of the challenges, the economic challenges Covid has presented,” Ms Thomas said.

“We will always invest in the infrastructure that our community needs. We don’t want to get caught up in the future. So we’ll keep building – that creates employment keeps people in jobs here in Victoria.

“We’ve got record low unemployment; we are making sure that people have a good job and can take control of their own lives.”

Victoria’s health care system has been under increased pressure since the pandemic began, with ambulance ramping and inaccessible services marring the sector.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Victoria chair, Dr Anita Munoz, said the focus during the election should be clearing the way for people to access the system.

“General practice provides the vast majority of healthcare services in Victoria – it’s time for the state government to take action to ensure GP patient services are sustainable and accessible for everyone in our state,” she said in a statement.

“Victorians are finding it harder and harder to access a GP, practices are being forced to close, and bulk billing is declining because Medicare patient rebates are far too low and don’t come close to covering the cost of providing high-quality care across our state.”

The state election will be held on November 26.