"The news that up to 15% of the community health budget will be cut is a guarantee by the Andrews Government that public hospitals will face more, not less stress in the months and years to come", said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.
"The claim that this will not impact on frontline services is a political lie unless the savings are made by making redundant those staff in Premier Andrew's office who get in the way of implementation of good policy," said Dr Woodruff. "Preventive health saves lives. The community health sector delivers preventive health and primary health care for the most vulnerable. It saves lives, prevents avoidable suffering, and enables return to work faster for many."
"It also helps reduce preventable admissions and unnecessary Emergency Department visits, said Dr Woodruff. "With about one in ten admissions to Victorian public hospitals being preventable with good primary health care why would any Government reduce funding for it," said Dr Woodruff. "Indeed, increasing the funding should be the economically logical and moral thing to do."
"This is shameful and also silly policy from a Labor Government," said Dr Woodruff
