Horsham community responds to new Grampians Health Service

This comes after Victorian Health minister Martin Foley approved the proposal to amalgamate Horsham, Stawell, Edenhope and Ballarat's health services under one banner, titled Grampians Health Service.

The new health service officially began on Monday, with plans for the new executive team and board to meet and begin future strategic planning.

When the proposal to amalgamate the health services began in late-2020, retired surgeon Ian Campbell was one of the most prominent voices in the Wimmera community to raise concerns.

Mr Campbell worked for 34 years as a surgeon at the Wimmera Health Care Group and served as president of the health service's board of directors.

He said although he did not support the move to amalgamate the health services, he was pleased the decision was made.

"The government has actually made a decision that I wanted them to make months ago - although it is not the decision that I wanted," he said.

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"I wanted them to actually decide something so that everybody can move forward.

"The decision has been made so instead of people sitting in limbo the whole place can try and move forward."

Mr Campbell ruled out returning to the health service as part of an advisory board, and said serious work was needed to fix the damage made by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID hit the health system at Wimmera Base Hospital and it will need the right management to go and move forward," he said.

Real estate proprietor and Nationals party member Bill Ower made headlines in early-2021 after taking to the streets in a sandwich board to protest the health service amalgamation.

He subsequently led further protests against the move, and endorsed Lowan member Emma Kealy's petition for the Wimmera Health Care Group to reconsider the proposal.

Mr Ower said the decision was a "disappointment" and looked to see whether promises around increased service could be kept.

"They said there would be no loss of jobs and no loss of services," he said.

"That is easy to say, but they have already lost an anesthetist and two very highly trained surgeons in the past two weeks, and that is before the amalgamation took place. So that doesn't sound very sound, it sounds very hollow in fact."

Mr Ower was also sceptical about the decision to not release the business case for the amalgamation, which was presented to Mr Foley before he gave his approval.

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Former Ballarat Health Services board chair Natalie Reiter said the boards of the four health services had no plan to release the plan, which was commercial-in-confidence.

Mr Ower said he believed the Grampians Health Service was part of a wider push from the Victorian government to establish larger regional health services across the state.

"I don't know why they are afraid to release their business statement to the public. It may be that there is very little in it, and they have just handed the government what the government was after," he said.

"It is government policy of course to establish a number of large regional hospitals across the state and all other hospitals will come under their control. This is just another piece of the puzzle for western Victoria as I see it.

"I believe it is part of their policy, they have been pushing it obviously, and I believe the boards have just handed them what they wanted."

Horsham Rural City Council also raised concerns about the amalgamation in February 2021.

In a statement released in February, Horsham City Council said the amalgamation would potentially erode the provision of clinical services in the Wimmera region.

In May, mayors from the six local councils in the Wimmera planned to meet with Health minister Martin Foley to communicate their concerns with the potential amalgamation.

However, the meeting was delayed due to scheduling difficulties with Mr Foley's office.

Horsham Rural City Council mayor Robyn Gulline and Northern Grampians Shire councillor Murray Emerson eventually met with Mr Foley on the eve of the initial announcement.

Cr Gulline said their concerns "fell on deaf ears".

"I explained why we were concerned, and he said it was happening all over the state and that the health services would make their recommendation and he would make his decision - and he expected the council to get on board," she said.

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Cr Gulline said the council had concerns with some of the promises around job recruitment.

"They have made promises to the community and we know services have already left and jobs have been lost. They are promising increased services and jobs so it is now their time to deliver," she said.

"We expressed concern that they were promising that their job recruitment challenges would be averted with this new merger - that is yet to be delivered. We are yet to see if that is true. I hope it is."

Although the council does not manage any part of the healthcare system, Cr Gulline said the council would continue its role in advocating for Horsham.

"We don't have a direct role to play in health, that is managed by the health board, health services and they are answerable to the Department of Health," she said.

"Council obviously has a broad advocacy role, in ensuring that the services and facilities meet our needs and are to the standard we deserve.

"As far as advocacy, any chance I get I will certainly push the importance of delivering for our community what they need and deserve.

"Whether it be mental health, emergency care, surgery, chemotherapy. Whatever services are required. Council will be another voice advocating for our community."

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