THE transition of Mildura Base Hospital (MBH) back to public management will be a “debacle” that could cost up to $30 million, the former chairman of the hospital’s community advisory board believes.
Vernon Knight said the government had not provided any detail around funding for the transition, with the only “new” money being $1 million to go towards a regional service plan to identify future health care needs of the hospital.
“My grief is that the transition costs to the new hospital are going to be a burden that we can’t sustain and there has been no clarification about where that money is going to come from,” he said.
“My estimate is that it will be between $20 and $30 million.
“There’s no new money and we’re talking about a transition cost that could be as high as $30 million and no provision for it.
“I venture to suggest if the provision had been made it would be announced.
“I don’t think they’ve worked it out.”
Mr Knight, who was the advisory board chairman between 2000-05 and 2010-14, believes the 12-month transition timeline will would be impossible to meet.
“I’ll bet my boots it’s never achieved in 12 months, it will be a debacle,” he said.
“I’ve run an organisation with 300 staff. The thought of actually transitioning from say the IT systems of a company that has 480 hospitals around the world to a Victorian public sector one, with everything that goes into that, it probably takes six months just to recruit the management staff.
“I think they’ve already hinted in strong enough terms that the hospital will likely be run out of Bendigo.”
A government spokesman said there were no plans for MBH to fall under the auspices of Bendigo Health, with the hospital to have its own independence and independent board.
The spokesman said services would be boosted, pointing to 2000 specialist appointments for Mildura which was announced last Friday as part of a government commitment to fund 500,000 specialist appointments in regional Victoria.
“Additional funding to help Mildura Base Hospital transition back to public operation will be announced in due course,” he said.
“The department will be closely managing the transition process and will work with Ramsay Health to ensure a smooth transition is completed on September 15, 2020.
“A due diligence process will be undertaken over the coming weeks and months that will identify further investment requirements to ensure the appropriate systems are in place ready for transition in September 2020.”
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the government would work closely with the community throughout the transition process.
This is about making sure that Mildura Base Hospital is solely focused on patients, and not profits, ensuring the community is in charge of its future, and it’s also about growing the existing suite of services,” she said.
The spokesman said no job losses would be necessary as a result of the transition.
