Council raises concerns on proposed health merger

Published on 10 February 2021

Horsham Rural City Council has grave concerns in relation to the proposed merger of the Wimmera Health Care Group (WHCG) with Ballarat Health Services.

Council believes that the amalgamation would potentially erode provision of clinical services in Horsham and the Wimmera region.

The WHCG board is currently taking community feedback about what an alignment would mean to the Wimmera community.

Mayor Robyn Gulline said Council was keen to explore whether WHCG could strengthen its delivery of services and create better health outcomes through other governance arrangements such as strengthening the role of Wimmera Southern Mallee Health Alliance or exploring other governance models in this region.

"We need to get the critical mass in our region to make the services more efficient and attract the required skills," Cr Gulline said. 

“Council is of the view that we should be jointly lobbying State and Federal Governments to support the WHCG to deliver the services required,” she said.

The Mayors of six Councils in the region have sought a meeting with the Minister for Health to discuss their concerns.

“There needs to be a concerted advocacy effort for funding which reflects the regional role WHCG plays.

“The Wimmera Cancer Centre is a great example of what can be done locally to meet the needs of the region.”

Wimmera Health Care Group’s community consultation is now underway and will continue through to 15 February.

"I encourage concerned community members to provide their own feedback on the proposal," Cr Gulline said.