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It is a pleasure to rise in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Regulatory Reform) Bill 2024. From the outset I would like to thank the Minister for Health and her team for the tremendous work put into this piece of legislation. I trust it will make a positive impact on Victorians. I also would like to acknowledge the member for Bellarine for sharing her personal story. It is wonderful that you share your personal story; it makes it easier for people to share their story. The Victorian people rightly expect that the government will make the necessary investments in upgrading and modernising their health system. They deserve a healthcare system which is affordable and efficient. They deserve the comfort of knowing that if they or their loved ones fall ill, they can get the care they need. This is what this bill is all about: improving regulatory frameworks to ensure that legislation reflects the needs of our healthcare system in serving Victorians. As new illnesses are discovered, new technology is implemented and new treatment methods are utilised, there is a clear need to make every effort to support our amazing healthcare workers. This bill makes amendments to several acts to do just that: to minimise risks of harm to Victorians by strengthening our regulatory framework systems and ensuring fair compliance with rules and enforcement. Amending the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 will result in the regulatory function being transferred to the Department of Health and the donor conception register also being transferred to the Department of Health. I would like to take a moment to discuss Victorians’ leadership in the provision of assisted reproductive treatment, or IVF. The campaign to give people the gift of parenthood is inspirational and makes me proud to be a Victorian. Victoria is the birthplace of Australian IVF. The first IVF baby in Australia is a Victorian, and I want to commend the tireless efforts of those who have advocated for safeguards and support systems for those involved. The changes to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act outlined in this piece of legislation are the implementation of recommendations 56 and 78 of the Gorton review, which are designed to improve regulation and assisted reproductive treatment. The bill also improves compliance and enforcement in the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981, the Health Services Act 1988, the Non-Emergency Patient Transport and First Aid Services Act 2003, the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, the Radiation Act 2005 and the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003. All these changes, including to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act, have a purpose of improving the regulation of health services by ensuring greater compliance and oversight of the risk mitigation strategies deployed. For these regulatory functions to be applied effectively, regulators are being equipped with modern and accurate guidance strategies which are fit for purpose. These include the powers to issue improvement notices, prohibition notices, information or document production notices and infringement notices and to accept enforceable undertakings. By granting the health regulator a variety of options to choose from, it provides the flexibility to tailor their response depending on any specific context or conditions which may be relevant. Having the ability to respond to breaches of law reactively and prevent any potential breaches proactively means that there is significant opportunity to minimise or prevent risks and potential dangers. This government also understands that with extended powers comes a greater responsibility for oversight and safeguarding mechanisms, and that is why this bill includes detailed safeguards as to how and when these new powers can be used. There are appropriate thresholds to limit when powers can be used as well as an accountability measure to determine whether reasonable grounds have been established to justify the exercise of any power. In mentioning the specifics of this bill I want to take a moment to reflect on the Allan Labor government’s proud record of supporting our healthcare system in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Many residents in the east are serviced by one of the biggest medical facilities in our state, the Monash Medical Centre. This government understands how critical it is to maintain and improve this significant piece of infrastructure. That is why in the most recent budget an overall package of $572.5 million was committed for the Monash Medical Centre, and this includes for major works, which will expand capacity and modernise the facility for more efficient care. A new intensive care unit will be built as well as new birthing suites and operating rooms as part of an expansion of the emergency department. I will just take a moment to thank the people down at the Monash Medical Centre, where my daughter Orla was born. We went in hoping for a nice, easy birth. Unfortunately it was 25 hours later in an emergency C-section that our beautiful daughter Orla arrived into this world. The treatment that she received down there was just amazing. We had to then take Orla to the children’s hospital right next door to get some antibiotics, and the treatment she got there was great as well. Thank you, Monash Medical Centre. This investment will facilitate an additional 7500 more surgeries and 2400 more births annually, saving lives and giving the gift of many more. These investments are, quite literally, life changing. We understand that there are structural challenges because of the pandemic that need to be addressed. Additional pressure was put on our infrastructure and our workforce, which has impacted capacity and service delivery provisions. We also understand that these issues are multifaceted, which is why we are taking a multilayered approach to supporting our healthcare system. This is part of the $8.8 billion in this year’s budget to fund our hospitals, giving them certainty and security for the long term. Strong and secure hospitals mean that patients can access quality care at a hospital nearby. However, as a consequence of the pandemic, there are systemic pressures on our hospitals and those who work in them. There is no point in having hospitals if there are no staff inside. I sat down just today with the mental health nurses of the Health and Community Services Union, and I want to thank them for sharing their stories with me. Investing in our healthcare workforce is as important as investing in the physical infrastructure of hospitals, and that is why the Allan Labor government has funded nursing and midwifery scholarships. As part of a $28 million investment, resources have been committed to supporting further training and development initiatives on top of the scholarship programs. Encouraging our youth to learn these skills and join the workforce is a generational commitment to fostering their talents and ensuring that they are equipped to serve our communities. Further, to ease the pressure on hospitals and general practitioners, this government has stepped in with our transformative priority primary care clinics. In partnership with the federal government, we are continuing to deliver 29 of these centres, free at the point of use and open seven days a week. I and my community are lucky to be served by not one but two priority primary care centres located in my electorate. Glen Waverley district residents know that if they require urgent yet not life-saving care, they can pop down to 476 Blackburn Road in Glen Waverley from 10 am to midnight every day or they can attend the Forest Hill PPCC, which is open from 8 am to 10 pm and is located at 490–524 Springvale Road in Forest Hill. I would again like to acknowledge the incredible work of the teams down at the Forest Hill and Glen Waverley priority primary care centres. Our community knows the important role they play in treating the ill and taking the pressure off our GPs and hospitals. When I was moving house to Glen Waverley over summer, my sister Christina, who was giving me a hand, unfortunately got her hand jammed between the door of the truck and the wall. We were fortunate to be able to head straight to the Glen Waverley Priority Primary Care Centre, where she got seen to straightaway. They are a great service and I thank them for all the work that they do. We have also funded $146 million in this budget to support Ambulance Victoria. We are backing the secondary triage service and medium-acuity transport service, freeing up ambulances to help those in urgent need. For far too long women’s health has been ignored, and this government is changing that with $18 million that has been provided to 12 women’s health organisations to support the incredible work they do. From preventative health services such as breast screening to community outreach and information campaigns, women’s health is a priority for this government. I would like to take a moment to thank the member for Northcote, the Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Health, for visiting my electorate to discuss various topics at a women’s health forum that we held with my constituents. I would also wish to give a special shout-out to the member for Mulgrave. Alongside many colleagues in this chamber and beyond, I was honoured to attend her Cancer Council fundraiser recently. It was a great event. I have so much more to say; however, I commend the bill to the house. |
