Hospital annual reports confirm a health system in crisis with millions of dollars lost statewide, said Helen Shardey, Shadow Minister for Health.

“Our public hospitals are hemorrhaging cash and the state government continues to dismiss this crisis,” said Mrs Shardey.

“Statewide, the financial situation is bleak in our hospital systems.”

The five worst hospitals in deficit are:

· The Austin - $12 million in deficit

· Western Health - $10.7 million in deficit

· Melbourne Hospital - $10.7 million in deficit

· Royal Women’s Hospital - $6.9 million in deficit

· Southern Health - $6.6 million in deficit

“Bed shortages, long waiting lists and overcrowded emergency departments have been neglected by the Premier – this is a situation he can no longer ignore.

“The Victorian Government provides the lowest level of per capita funding to public hospitals; it spends the least per head of population on hospitals and has the fewest number of beds per head compared to all the other state and territories.

“It is clear our public hospitals are not just in crisis – they are in chaos.

“Today, the state government decided to dump 137 annual reports for analysis in an attempt to cover up the hospital hemorrhaging cash crisis.

“These annual reports are proof of the years of mismanagement by the state government and the failure of the embattled health minister.

“The pressure is on the state government to fix this problem.

“Hospital funding from the Department of Human Services in grants and payments has only gone up five per cent, which is only just above the health CPI.

“Adding to the funding crisis, the number of patients has increased by 3.4 per cent in that same period.

“It is clear the state government is not keeping up with demand.

“This is a state government with a budget surplus of over $1 billion that refuses to adequately fund our hospitals.

“The quality of patient care, despite the hard work of our doctors and nurses, is going to be affected.

“This is why we have 38,109 people waiting in pain on elective surgery lists, this is why 50,000 people walk out of emergency departments without being treated, and this why 70,000 patients wait for more than eight hours on trolleys, before being admitted.

“It’s appalling that a state government with such a large surplus is failing to fund our hospitals,” said Mrs Shardey.