Joining together across our region for better healthcare

A proposal for these health services to come together formally and create a new health service, supported by a comprehensive business case, has been approved by the four health service boards and will be sent to the Secretary of the Department of Health for consideration.

While the Department reviews the proposal, all four health services are continuing extensive engagement with staff and the community on top of the community engagement which has already occurred in each local community.

A new, combined health service would have the scale to shape a better health system for all parts of the Wimmera and Grampians region. In the proposed structure, all services will continue to deliver health care to their communities.

The proposal would enable the provision of safe, connected and people-centred healthcare, closer to home. There will be significant opportunities for sharing resources and working together, creating career pathways while providing more services locally and reducing the need for patients to travel.

Staff and community engagement across all four communities has helped define clear commitments should the proposal proceed:

• Under the new, combined health service each of the four health services will continue to provide public healthcare for the Grampians and Wimmera regions;

• Retention of the local hospital names and identity;

• Patients from Edenhope, Stawell, Horsham and Dimboola and Ballarat will continue to access high quality care from their local hospital;

• A new board will be established with the necessary skills and local representation;

• There will be no loss of services at any of the health care services;

• There will be no job losses; and,

• Past and future fundraising will be tied to the community and the purposes it was raised for.

All health services remain committed to an open and transparent process with patients, staff and communities in each local community to develop an inclusive strategic services plan, defining our shared vision and plan for the future.

Our priority will be to provide certainty and confidence for staff and communities, and – as always – ensuring high quality care across the Wimmera and Grampians regions.