Health at the Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) Inquiry into the 2025–26 Budget Estimates, demanding answers on what the Government is doing to address the shortage of emergency department beds at Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH).
Ms Benham highlighted the urgent need for both immediate and long-term solutions to meet the growing healthcare demands of MBPH, which services patients from across Victoria and border communities in New South Wales, and South Australia.
Ms Benham asked the Minister what action was being taken to fix the emergency department bed shortage. The Minister announced only immediate measures, including four additional sub-acute beds, but failing to outline any long-term strategy to properly support the hospital and its staff.
“The Minister’s announcement of four sub-acute beds is a start, but it is nowhere near enough for a hospital under this much pressure,” Ms Benham said. ““We need a clear and committed long-term plan to address the pressure on our hospital.”
The Minister also announced the establishment of a new Patient Support Unit at the hospital, which, on inspection, is simply a re-naming of the Pre-Admissions Unit.
Ms Benham also questioned the Minister on the recent 48-hour Code Yellow at the Hospital. The Minister acknowledged the incident and agreed it was unacceptable. However, when pressed on what immediate actions were being taken to prevent further system failures, the Minister simply pointed to the local Urgent Care Clinic, a service that does not cater to patients requiring emergency admission.
“The Minister is fooling no one,” Ms Benham said. “The Urgent Care Clinic plays an important role in community health, but it is not a solution for patients needing critical emergency care or a hospital bed.
“The Government has no clear, long-term path forward to properly support MBPH. The resources and attention are not matching the demand.
“Labor can’t manage health and Victorians are paying the price.”
