Questions without notice and ministers statements
Mr D O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Health. Seventy-four-year-old Bernice Snell from Mirboo North attended Latrobe Regional Hospital on Saturday with leg swelling and pain from a suspected deep vein thrombosis. Bernice had recently had a change of medication and was told to attend the ED immediately if she experienced any pain. After arriving at around 10.00 am with her daughter, due to stretched resources it was more than 6 hours before Bernice was seen by a doctor and blood tests were taken. She was eventually admitted 2 hours later. In the early hours of Sunday morning Bernice had a heart attack and, tragically, died. How is a 74-year-old woman in pain being forced to wait 6 hours for treatment and then tragically losing her life acceptable in this state?
Mr D O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:31): Bernice was a stalwart of Mirboo North, and her community is devastated by her sudden death. Her family just wants to ensure that a death like Bernice’s does not happen again due to delays in getting treatment at overworked emergency departments. How many more people have to die before the crisis in our health system is acknowledged and finally fixed?