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Danny O'Brien warns Bayside Health merger threatens Gippsland communities, confirming hidden health service consolidation
Danny O'Brien criticises Labor's Bayside Health merger, warning it will reduce local hospital autonomy, limit community input, and risk services for Gippsland residents, prioritising bureaucratic cost-saving over patient care.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien says the Allan Labor government's decision to merge local health services into a new entity called Bayside Health will be a long-term disaster for local communities.
Danny O'Brien criticised the lack of community consultation, warning locals are losing hospital boards and autonomy, confirming fears of full mergers
Regional health mergers
From 1 January 2026, Gippsland Southern Health Service, with campuses at Leongatha and Korumburra, and Bass Coast Health will join with Alfred Health, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health in Frankston will be merged into the organisation.
Mr O'Brien condemned this move which he says has confirmed that Labor's "health service plans" were always mergers by stealth. "I am concerned at this announcement and the impact it will have on health care for the people of South Gippsland. While the Allan Labor government continues to talk about supposed benefits, the reality is that combining small regional services with big city hospitals puts local services at risk."
"Our hospitals are being absorbed into a mega-structure where local voices will count for less. We might get short-term promises about services being retained, but in the long-term, does anyone really think Leongatha or Korumburra's needs will count when compared with a massive city hospital like the Alfred? There are promises this will improve patient care pathways, but surely our hospitals can cooperate better on patient care without needing a bureaucratic merger?" he said.
Hospital board mergers
Mr O'Brien said he remained frustrated that there had been virtually no consultation with the wider community. "Locals were only just getting used to the idea of the proposed health service networks and now they are being told their hospital boards are going, along with local autonomy."
"The Nationals had suspected all along that this would be the first step towards full mergers and unfortunately, we've been proven right. These mergers are cost-saving exercises because Labor can't manage money and Gippslanders are paying the price," Mr O'Brien said.
Pictures from Danny O'Brien MP Instagram page.
Source: http://gippsland.com/
Published by: news@gippsland.com
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