A proposal that would see the delivery of Euroa Health’s bed-based acute care hospital services taken over by Goulburn Valley Health received unanimous support at a special meeting on Thursday night.
The mooted changes, which now sit with the Victorian Government for final approval, include having local acute and urgent care services delivered by GV Health under a publicly funded model, and would also involve the transfer of land and assets relating to Euroa Health’s hospital services.
Local acute care services would be delivered via a co-located site at Euroa’s Health’s current site, with a plan to expand those services over time.
All other parts of Euroa Health, including the GraniteHill aged care facility and existing community services, are profitable and will remain under the community-owned entity of Euroa Health.
In total, 119 eligible Euroa Health members attended the specially convened meeting to vote on the proposal, and unanimously supported the plan.
“It’s an effort that has been two years in the making and, while we still need the approval of government, our community recognises that we can’t keep going the way we are, and that the model we’ve put forward is the right one,” Euroa Health chair Linsey Siede said.
The recommendation was brought forward by a joint steering committee of Euroa Health and GV Health representatives, along with external experts and representatives from the Victorian Department of Health. The steering committee was established in June 2023 for the purpose of identifying more sustainable service models for Euroa Health’s community-funded acute-care hospital services following years of financial losses, driven primarily by ongoing falls in the number of privately insured patient admissions. The proposed model was endorsed by the boards of both Euroa Health and GV Health prior to the special meeting of Euroa Health members.
“The proposal to keep acute hospital services as close as possible to home is in keeping with Euroa Health’s vision of helping our community to live well,” Euroa Health chief executive Melissa Seymour said.
“If approved by the Victorian Government, it would be a big win for the people of Strathbogie, including for our dedicated team, who are familiar faces for so many who use those services day-to-day.”
If the proposal receives approval from the Victorian Health Minister, the delivery of acute hospital services by GV Health in Euroa is expected to take effect from July 1, 2024, subject to the finalisation of a detailed transition and implementation plan.
“As a major healthcare hub, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality acute care services for people in Greater Shepparton and the surrounding Strathbogie, Moira, and Campaspe shires, as well as the broader Hume region,” GV Health chief executive Matt Sharp said.
“We would welcome the opportunity to build on the existing partnership with Euroa Health for the long-term benefit of the Strathbogie community, and we now look forward to working with the Victorian Government as it considers the proposal for final approval.”