Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has been asked for a please explain after the Latrobe Urgent Care Clinic* in Moe was closed to patients without notice on Monday 13 January.
The Latrobe UCC, which is supposed to take the pressure off hospital emergency departments (ED) and services the whole of the Valley, also cut its hours of operation on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 January 2025.
“I have received calls from people who attended the UCC on Monday, only to find it was shut, forcing them to attend the already overwhelmed ED at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH),” The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said.
“Figures from LRH’s 2024 annual report show 57 per cent of patients waited more than four hours in ED, so we cannot afford to shift the burden to the hospital when the UCC is shut.
“There is also no pharmacy offering 24-hour service in the Latrobe Valley, making the UCC crucial in ensuring residents have access to urgent care when they need it.
“Add to this Labor’s announcement of its disastrous health mergers by stealth last week, and LRH is being lumped with the task of providing more than 85 per cent of care over time for whole of Gippsland.
“More than ever before, locals need to be assured they can access urgent care without having to present to the emergency department.”
The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, said patient care was being compromised under Labor.
“At a time when our health system is crumbling, the closure – for any length of time – of the UCC has the potential to completely overwhelm the LRH emergency department,” Ms Bath said.
“On Wednesday afternoon we witnessed 11 ambulances and one adult retrieval critical care vehicle ramped at LRH, highlighting the excessive workload on our regional hospital emergency departments.
“Our hardworking nurses and doctors are wearing the burden of Labor’s 10 years of mismanagement and chronic underfunding of our health system, leading to poorer patient outcomes.
“The Allan Labor Government cannot manage money, cannot manage our health system, and Victorians are paying the price.”
