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Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said she believed Wimmera people had ‘made it overwhelmingly clear’ they were against a merger between Wimmera and Ballarat health services.

She said she believed while people supported hospitals working together to support health services for the community, they did not support a ‘mega’ merger.

She implored Health Minister Martin Foley to ‘listen to the community’ and not sign off on the merger between Wimmera Health Care Group, Ballarat Health Services, Stawell Regional Health and Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital.

Management boards from all have voted for a merger.

“Such a merger will have disastrous consequences for our community, including a loss of autonomy and local voices, and a loss of local control over services that residents have fought for and raised money for over many decades,” she said. “It is difficult to understand why amalgamation is pitched as the only solution to improving health services, because it simply is not.

“There are existing group-purchasing arrangements in place, achieved without amalgamation.

“There are widespread shared service agreements and contracts in place for provision of visiting or shared surgeons, specialists and other allied health professionals – again, achieved without amalgamation

. “There are existing partnerships and alliance agreements in place.

“At no stage has it been articulated why hospital amalgamation is necessary or a requirement to enable our hospitals to work together or partner to achieve better health outcomes for the community.”

Ms Kealy said she had tabled a petition in State Parliament last month bearing the signatures of almost 4000 people against amalgamation.

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LETTER: Tick the box exercise