By XAVIER SMERDON
THOUSANDS of Wyndham residents will miss out on vital medical services with staff at the Werribee Mercy Hospital being advised there is likely to be a reduction of elective surgery, patient beds, cots and outpatient services.
Staff at the hospital have also been warned they may be redeployed and have been asked to consider taking annual leave and long service leave.
In a leaked memo obtained by Star, the full effects of budget cuts were explained to staff at the hospital this month.
Executive Director of Mercy Public Hospitals, Linda Mellors, said in the memo that a withdrawal of $107 million in Commonwealth funding from the Victorian health system had meant that Mercy Public Hospitals was required to cut $3 million from its budget.
“Our only possible response to an urgent budget reduction of this size, is to assess how we can reduce services while having the least impact on our patients and staff,” Ms Mellors said in the memo.
“We will strive to minimise the impact on staff by looking for opportunities to redeploy staff and a targeted further reduction in the use of agency staff.
“In addition we will be asking staff to consider taking annual leave and long service leave. We will also consider requests for leave without pay where no leave entitlements are available and also for a permanent reduction in contracted hours.”
Ms Mellors said that staff reductions will only be considered as a last resort.
“If these voluntary initiatives do not achieve the required rostering reductions, it may be necessary to issue directives to some staff to go on leave,” she said.
Mercy Health CEO Stephen Cornelissen said there had been no cuts to existing permanent jobs since the funding cuts were announced but it is believed eight graduate midwifes would no longer be offered jobs at the hospital once their contracts expire.
Victorian Health Minister David Davis said Federal Government funding cuts would only work to hurt patients and staff.
“Wards and beds are already closing as a result of the Federal funding cuts, and hospitals are working on plans to determine which staff they have to let go,” Mr Davis said.
“Surgery lists are already being cut back, and the impact will show up in future months as more and more patients wait longer and longer for elective surgery.
“Our population hasn’t dropped – but our hospital services are dropping as a result of these savage and heartless cuts.”
But Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a statement to Star that the State Government was responsible for the dire situation.
“I am very concerned and disappointed that the staff and patients of the Werribee Mercy Hospital have been caught up in crossfire of this disagreement,” Ms Gillard said.
“This is a cynical attempt by Ted Baillieu and David Davis to divert attention from the $616 million worth of savage cuts the Liberal Government has made to the Victorian state health budget.
“No government has ever injected as much additional money into health than this Federal Labor Government and we are rightly proud of our track record.”
