DENTAL services for some of the west’s most vulnerable people are under threat after the state government failed to fund a much-needed relocation of a Footscray clinic.
Western Region Health Centre has battled problems with its antiquated clinic and ageing equipment on Geelong Road, Footscray. Among the hurdles are poor lighting, lack of on-site sterilisation and narrow corridors that make it impossible to fit an ambulance stretcher in case of an emergency.
An announcement was expected in last week’s state budget, following the formation of a taskforce early this year to investigate options for the site. But for the second consecutive year, the budget contained no funding for planning or for construction of a new clinic.
WRHC acting CEO Nicole Bartholomeusz said staff were committed to quality dental care, but the age of the buildings and equipment limited the range and type of services they could deliver and it was uncertain how long they could continue to provide dental services.
“If we experience equipment failure [and repairs are not possible] due to the age of the equipment or facilities become unsafe, we will need to shut down chairs and/or close our doors,” she said.
“Last week we had to close down due to equipment failure, but in this instance we were able to have the equipment repaired.”
WRHC provides emergency and general dental care to some of the community’s most vulnerable, including refugees, mentally ill and homeless people, who would not be able to access treatment elsewhere.
About 2500 people are on a waiting list for care at WRHC.
“We are looking forward to hearing from the [Health] Minister with a formal response to the ministerial taskforce recommendations,” Ms Bartholomeusz said.
Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury, who chaired the taskforce, said the report with options was sent to the minister in March this year, and it remained a “top priority” for the government.
He said he could not divulge details of the options, but temporary measures may include dental vans on the site, while longer-term they would consider refurbishing the current site or co-locating at another WRHC site.
“Just because it’s not a line item in the budget doesn’t mean the project is in dire straits,” Mr Elsbury said.
“We’ve got a health service we recognise is doing a fantastic job and one that we have been working with to try and find a solution to a long-term problem.
“If we weren’t interested we wouldn’t have gone through this process of doing the taskforce report.”
Mr Elsbury said he could not put a time frame on when the clinic’s future would be known.
The budget papers also show that funding for primary, community and dental health across the state has been cut from the $403.7million spent in 2012-13 to $396million next year.
The state government also expects average waiting lists for dental care to grow from 17 months to 23 months and the wait for dentures from 17 months to 22 months.
Greens MP Colleen Hartland said it was a “kick in the teeth” for people, including 400 children a week, who could not afford private dental care. She pursued the matter in Parliament last week, saying: “I ask the minister to find the money, somewhere, for the sake of children’s dental health in my area.”
Ms Hartland said a half-billion-dollar dental funding deal struck with the federal government could save services at overburdened clinics like WRHC.
Health Minister David Davis’s spokesman Nathan Robinson said in a statement the taskforce recently reported back and the government was “considering the findings of the report and will look at progressing this further in coming months”.
He said the minister would be making further comment regarding the taskforce report in coming months.
Mr Robinson blamed Labor for failing to fund a new dental clinic during its time in office.
