More than 200 members of the public turned out at a public meeting in Bendigo on Sunday 5 June 2011 and voted overwhelmingly for the retention of the in-house pathology services at Bendigo Hospital. Over 3000 petitions have been signed by Bendigo residents in support, and we have over 100 letters of support from local doctors and specialists. (Download the petition from Documents -> Campaigns -> Bendigo Pathology.)

We met with the Minister for Health, Hon David Davis yesterday, and discussed with him the likely adverse effects of privatisation on the service, including cost shifting to the community and the government, reduced on-site services, tests being sent to Melbourne, loss of local jobs and decline in the quality of the service.

It was a good meeting, and the Minister expressed his support for the retention of specialist staff in regional Victoria.

We understand from the CEO of Bendigo Health that the option of the retention of, and investment in, the in-house pathology service is now back as an option being considered by the Board.

The retention of a comprehensive 24 hour public pathology service is particularly important in the context of the development of the new tertiary teaching hospital in Bendigo at the cost of $630 million, and the development of a health precinct in Bendigo, which includes Monash University Medical School and Latrobe University School of Rural Health. http://www.newbendigohospital.org.au/NBH_Project_Objectives.asp