Tuesday, 8 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:28): (1465) My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, Joanne’s GP sent an urgent referral on 24 June following a positive iFOBT – an immunochemical faecal occult blood test. She was categorised at the time as an urgent category 1 patient, meaning she should be seen within 30 days. Her symptoms include rapid weight loss, and she has a family history of bowel cancer. She finally had a telehealth consult on 2 September, some 70 days after her initial referral, but she still has no date for a colonoscopy. Why is Joanne, who is deemed to be a category 1 patient, still waiting to be seen?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:29): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. I just want to acknowledge Joanne’s circumstances and invite the member to provide me with details of that matter, which I am very happy to and want to follow up with the department so that we can get some advice for Joanne about her particular situation. Obviously I am not in a position to go into individual patient matters in the chamber, but if Ms Crozier provides me with the details, I would be very happy to follow that up.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:30): Again the minister refuses to answer the question around why somebody like Joanne, who is deemed to be a category 1, is still waiting to be seen. The minister is going to follow that up, and I thank her for that, given the information that I have provided, but it is around those patients that are not being seen. That is a failure of the minister. Minister, last sitting week in the Parliament, in response to a question from Ms Bath regarding another Victorian patient who has been waiting for surgery on his broken hip for almost a year, you said:

Our clinicians are always ensuring that we are – the only state in fact in Australia – delivering category 1 surgeries in the recommended timeframe.

Minister, that is not true, is it?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:30): I thank Ms Crozier for her supplementary question and note that she has acknowledged that I will follow up these matters for the person she is making representations on behalf of, and it is important that I do that. In relation to category 1 surgeries, we are indeed the only state in the country completing category 1 surgeries in the recommended timeframe. Of course every individual patient’s care is important, and that is why I have offered to follow that matter up.

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Ingrid STITT: I get a lot of correspondence, which I respond to in a timely fashion, because I understand that many people interacting with our health system are writing to me on these occasions because they want support, and I will follow this matter up promptly when Ms Crozier provides me with that information.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:32): I move:

That the minister’s responses be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Also, I will ask you to reinstate the first question, thank you, President.

The PRESIDENT: I will not be doing that, but I will put that the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.