The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham has called out the Allan Labor Government for misleading Victorians about the true state of the healthcare system, as new data from the Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI) paints a very different picture than the one presented by the Government.
While the Minister for Health claims emergency department wait times are the lowest on record, the Government is conveniently ignoring the growing backlog in specialist appointments and surgery wait times in rural and regional areas.
“In Mildura alone, I’ve been contacted by numerous constituents struggling to access timely care,” Ms Benham said. “One resident waited five months for an initial specialist appointment following a Category 1 bowel screening result. That’s simply unacceptable.”
Despite the Government’s claim of “world-class care,” the reality is that wait times are worsening, emergency performance targets are being missed, and thousands of Victorians are being left in pain and uncertainty.
According to the latest VAHI data:
- Category 2 surgeries now have a median wait time of 62 days, up from 54 days, leaving over 7,150 patients without care within the recommended timeframe.
- Category 3 surgeries have a median wait time of 119 days, up from 102 days – meaning more than 1,320 patients are enduring extended delays.
- Overall, median wait times for all planned surgeries surged by 18 per cent in the last quarter alone.
“These wait times are simply unacceptable. Regional Victorians already face significant barriers to healthcare access, and the system is failing them” Ms Benham said.
“These latest figures are nothing to celebrate when over 60,000 Victorians are languishing on surgery waitlists and emergency response times are getting worse in communities across the state,” Ms Benham said.
“No amount of spin can cover up Labor’s failure to deliver timely care.
“Labor can’t manage money, and they can’t manage health. It’s everyday Victorians who are paying the price.”
