VERMIN, termites and rusty chairs are just some of the woes facing Footscray’s long-troubled dental clinic, according to a report tabled in State Parliament yesterday.
The Western Region Health Centre (WRHC) dental services taskforce, chaired by western suburbs Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury, found a series of issues were putting the service at risk.
The report found both dental sites – at Paisley Street and Geelong Road – are at risk of failing to comply with infection-control standards and deliver “safe and effective dental services”.
A November 2009 equipment inspection found dental chairs at the Paisley Street clinic had extensive internal rust and twisted electrical wiring in the arms of chairs, presenting an electrical hazard.
Upstairs surgeries were unable to operate once temperatures hit 30 degrees.
WRHC spends about $100,000 each year on sterilising the equipment used at the Geelong Road children’s clinic off-site, but the Paisley Street clinic is able to sterilise on-site.
Health Minister David Davis said the government’s first response to the report was to spend $200,000 on planning the next step.
“The government will provide a further $100,000 to Western Region Health Centre in one-off funding to explore, develop and implement service development initiatives to increase access to dental services.”
Mr Elsbury said the taskforce identified seven options to improve infrastructure and services. “Each option has been assessed and ranked against evaluation criteria relevant to WRHC’s community dental services setting and the broader Victorian government health policy.”
One option recommended by the report is bringing together adult and child dental services – now split over two sites – to one redeveloped 12-chair dental clinic on the Paisley Street site.
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland backed this option but warned the children’s clinic could close within the year without urgent funding.
“The government knows what the problems are. The last thing we need [is] more planning and another report,” she said.
“It dragged its heels and missed the last budget cycle, but it needs to find this money now.
“The government has known for 18 months they need $9million to do the work required. The Labor government knew it for 11 years before the Baillieu government. Get on with it.”
