The Andrews Labor Government’s current budget confirms a more than $1 billion funding cut to elective surgery as more Victorians than ever await critical surgeries and procedures.
The 2022-23 Budget confirms total funding for admitted services has been cut from a total expenditure of $15.193 billion in 2021-22 to a budgeted $14.133 billion in 2022-23.
Admitted services include acute and sub-acute patient services, including elective and non-elective surgeries, provided at Victorian metropolitan and rural public hospitals.
This more than $1 billion funding cut comes despite Victoria’s public elective surgery waitlist growing from 66,230 in June 2021 to 89,611 in March 2022.
Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier, said instead of playing politics with people’s health, the Liberals and Nationals have real solutions to end the health crisis.
“Over the past year, more than 23,000 people have joined the queue for vital surgery yet Daniel Andrews has cut funding by more than $1 billion.”
“Daniel Andrews has run Victoria’s health system as Premier or Minister for 12 of the last 16 years, the person who created the health crisis is not the one to fix it.”
“This cut must be reversed – now is not the time to be short-changing critical health services.”
“Instead of ripping money out of the health system during a crisis, the Liberals and Nationals have real solutions to give Victorians the care they deserve.”
“Our plan will end Labor’s health crisis by rebuilding hospitals across Victoria and by working with, not against, healthcare providers to halve surgery waitlist in our first term.”
Georgie Crozier MP
Shadow Minister for Health