Victoria’s priority primary care clinics are bracing for state government funding cuts that operators have warned will slash opening hours or make the model unsustainable, putting more pressure on swamped hospitals.Cutbacks are also reaching the state’s much-touted priority primary care clinics, which former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet jointly announced in 2022 as key planks of their re-election pitches after COVID-19 smashed the health system.
“We are risking being unable to do their jobs,” one operator said. “There comes a point where it’s simply not sustainable.”Two operators also pointed out that reduced hours would make it more difficult to retain staff in the competitive sector and could lead to closures. It cited advice from the Australian Medical Association that patients with lower levels of urgency were managed quickly and easily at emergency departments. The association has said the most significant issue was chronic underfunding of GPs, reducing access to help over time, and increasing the level of care required down the track.
further revealed that RCH proposed to make six programs and teams redundant in its mental health department. A hospital spokesperson said services were regularly reviewed to ensure they were in line with the Health Department’s funding priorities.