Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley has called on the Victorian Health Minister to fully fund the short stay hospital beds at Albury Base during a constituency question in the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday.

“The Labor government announced funding for the beds in last week’s state budget but what they didn’t say was that they will only fund nine of the sixteen beds,” Mr Tilley alleged.

“The beds allow for extended hospital treatment without taking up an ED or hospital bed. Think someone who needs antibiotics on a drip for 12 hours, then they go home.

“This reduces waiting times at ED and frees up other beds for public surgery patients.” 

Bed figures don’t compute

Mr Tilley said that “The Victorian government earlier this year threatened health services with fines for not meeting certain standards of turnover at the ED and ambulance bays.

“These beds are critical to meeting those standards.

“Albury Wodonga Health has about the same number of presentations at ED as Geelong but has about half the number of ED beds.

“Our public surgery waiting list increased dramatically late last year.

“You can’t threaten health services with penalties if they don’t meet certain standards if you won’t give them the resources to do it,” Mr Tilley said.

“We know the demand on our EDs is massive and staff are under the pump and anything that may ease that pressure should be funded.

“I’ve asked the question to better understand why this has happened.

“If past performance is any indicator we will just get more mumbo jumbo from the government about a world class health service.” 

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 29 May 2025.