By Colin MacGillivray
An amalgamation is among the options being considered by Kilmore District Health and Northern Health as they explore ways to strengthen healthcare services across southern Mitchell Shire.
The two healthcare groups last week launched a campaign titled Better Connected Care, designed to gauge community views on ways they could collaborate to provide better services across the Kilmore District Health catchment.
Kilmore District Health and Northern Health have worked closely for decades and already share services across a range of areas, including elective surgery, maternity services, dialysis and outpatient clinics.
Northern Health is the largest healthcare service in Melbourne’s outer-northern suburbs, operating Northern Hospital Epping as well as Broadmeadows Hospital and centres in Bundoora and Craigieburn.
Kilmore District Health board chair Gillian Leach said the Better Connected Care project would investigate ways to expand the services on offer in the Kilmore district as the region braced for a population explosion.
“We’re looking at about a quarter of a million extra people in the Kilmore-Wallan area in the next 10 years and we need to start planning now for how we’re going to provide sustainable healthcare for the community,” she said.
“We’re looking at a range of opportunities to increase the partnership. We’ll consult with the community, staff and all our stakeholders to see what they would like to see in terms of better healthcare in the northern growth corridor.
“There are a whole range of options we could look at, and voluntary amalgamation is one of those.”
Ms Leach said a closer relationship between Northern Health and Kilmore District Health had potential to allow more local treatment options for people in the Kilmore district.
“[It will mean] more accessibility to specialists coming out here and providing outpatient services, making sure our maternity services are sustainable into the future as we get more and more younger families out here, and providing specialists in geriatric care so our aged care facilities have access to better services,” she said.
“We do a lot of elective surgery here for Northern Health already, so that won’t change, but it will be likely that we’ll do more surgery here.”
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said the possibility of amalgamation deserved ‘consideration and further thought’.
“It is vital that any amalgamation results in benefits to the care of locals and improves health outcomes for individuals across the Mitchell Shire and Melbourne’s north,” she said.
“We know our health system is in a dire condition. Any steps that can be taken to improve this will be warmly welcomed.
“What we can’t afford to see is resources taken away from Kilmore. We need our local hospital to remain adaptive, responsive and fully funded.”
Ms Leach said there would be no loss of services or jobs at Kilmore District Health under any plan.
“We provide excellent healthcare here. We have for 160 years and that’s not going to change,” she said.
“We don’t see that there will be any loss in jobs.
“It’s quite possible we will be able to increase the scope of services available at Kilmore and make sure people have access to services closer to home rather than having to go into Melbourne.”
Ms Leach said the governance structure of Kilmore District Health would change in the event of an amalgamation, but the service would strive to retain its local identity and community bonds.
“We would retain a community advisory committee so the community still has strong input into the governance of Kilmore District Health,” she said.
“Amalgamation is an option, but it’s only one of the options. This is all about exploring the feedback and finding out what the best thing will be for the organisations and for the community.
“We expect we’ll be doing community, stakeholder and staff consultation for at least the next three months. Then we have to provide a report back to the community on those findings and we’ll progress from there.”
Ms Leach said she expected Kilmore District Health to finalise its report in the second half of this year.
In the case of an amalgamation, the Health Services Act 1988 requires both services to prove a public interest.
Northern Health chief operating officer Debra Bourne said any agreement between the organisations would be made with the public in mind.
“Northern Health is very much aware of the strong service and highly skilled staff up here who provide an enormous service to the community of Kilmore and the district,” she said.
“As with any health provider, our role is to support that and see where we can strengthen it.
“Northern Health acknowledges the important role that rural and community hospitals play in communities, and the importance of not only supporting them but helping them grow.”
People can view information about the Better Connected Care project and submit feedback online by visiting betterconnectedcare.com.au.
I often wonder why we don’t have ‘hospitals’ any more. Why are they changing their names to ‘Health’. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do wonder the wisdom in hospitals waning and ‘health facilities’ increasing.