Alexandra Newspapers

1 day ago

Alexandra District Health has increased the number of Tea Talk consultation/engagement sessions regarding their proposed merger with Eastern Health. The dates are below:

Tea Talk Alexandra | Alexandra RSL, 44 Grant St, Alexandra
Monday 10th November | 12:30pm – 2:00pm
Tuesday 18th November | 6:00pm – 7:15pm
Thursday 20th November | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Tea Talk Yea | Yea RSL, 26 Snodgrass St, Yea
Monday 10th November | 2:45pm – 4:00pm

Tea Talk Marysville | Marysville Community Centre, 31 Falls Rd,
Marysville
Monday 10th November | 10:00am – 11:30am
Thursday 13th November | 6:00pm – 7:15pm

Tea Talk Eildon | Eildon Primary School Hall, 45 High St, Eildon
Wednesday 12th November | 11:30am – 1:00pm
Thursday 20th November | 10:00am – 11:30am
Thursday 20th November | 6:00pm – 7:15pm

Tea Talk Yarck | Yarck Hall, 6583 Maroondah Hwy, Yarck
Wednesday 12th November | 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Tea Talk Thornton | Thornton Town Hall, Taggerty-Thornton Rd, Thornton
Friday14th November | 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Friday 14th November | 6:00pm – 7:15pm

Tea Talk Healesville | Each Healesville, 1 Joffre Road, Healesville
Wednesday 19th November | 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Tea Talk Yarra Glen | Yarra Glen Memorial Hall, 45 Bell Street, Yarra Glen
Wednesday 19th November | 10.00am – 11.30am

Tea Talk Buxton | Buxton Memorial Hall, 2206 Maroondah Hwy, Buxton
Friday 14th November | 10:00am – 11:00am

Tea Talk Taggerty | Taggerty Progress Hall, 5 Taggerty-Thornton Rd, Taggerty
Friday 14th November | 11:30am – 12:30pm

If you’d like to join one of the Tea Talk sessions, please let ADH know by emailing feedback@connectingcare.net ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

1 day ago

PENNANT round three for the Alexandra Bowls Club was marked by some good wins by individual rinks but unfortunately overall losses across the three games.

www.alexandranewspapers.com.au/rink-wins-but-overall-losses-for-alexandra-bowls-club ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

2 days ago

CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONSULTATION - PROPOSED ALEXANDRA DISTRICT HEALTH AND EASTERN HEALTH AMALGAMATION

CONCERNS have been raised about the consultation being conducted by Alexandra District Health (ADH) and Eastern Health regarding the proposed amalgamation.

The consultation is being held from November 6 (the announcement day) through to November 21. During the two weeks, people have three methods for putting forward their thoughts, so be quick.

People can attend one of the eight 'Tea Talk' sessions. The sessions in the three largest towns in the shire, Alexandra, Yea and Marysville are to be held on Monday, November 10.

The other sessions are in Eildon and Yarck (both November 12), Thornton (November 13), and Buxton and Taggerty (both November 14). All are held within eight days of the announcement.

[Update Friday late afternoon: Further sessions have now been added. The new times can be found in a new post on the Alexandra Newspapers page, or on the ADH page.]

There was no advertising of the events beyond limited social media.

People can find further information about these sessions at the amalgamation-specific website, connectingcare.net

Another method being used to consult the community is via an online survey. Following some demographic information, the questions all centre around the health care services which people would like to have available at ADH and about staff opportunities, all ranked between one (least important) and five (most important). It is highly likely that everyone in the community will five-star it all the way. But how does this create a mandate for change?

The only real option that people have to express an opinion on the proposed merger in the survey is in the last question, where people are asked, "Is there anything else you would like to share about your expectations or concerns regarding this exploration process or the possibility of a voluntary amalgamation." People are given 200 words to answer the question. It's the online equivalent of a sticky note.

The third option is to send an email regarding the proposal to feedback@connectingcare.net

This all feels very rushed, and a potential fait accompli, particularly given the structure of the survey questions and the speed and lack of promotion regarding the Tea Talk sessions. Whether the community decides that an amalgamation is a good idea or not is up to them, however genuine consultation is required to reach this conclusion.

The Victorian Government has Principles for Public Engagement. Information about them can be found at vic.gov.au/public-engagement-framework-2021-2025/principles-public-engagement

The first principle is that the consultation be 'meaningful'. It states, "The purpose and objectives are clear and shared with the public. The public has adequate time, resources and opportunities to provide feedback before decision-making. The public can take part in decisions that affect their lives. Decision-makers consider the views of the public."

Principle two is that the consultation be 'inclusive'. It states, "The engagement is respectful, inclusive and accessible... The engagement design is human-centred and enables the full participation of all who wish to be involved. Asking the individual or group how they would like to participate and designing the process accordingly. Offering a number of ways that the public can engage. The public has opportunities to influence the problem definition."

Principle three is that the process be 'transparent'. It states, "Sharing background information about the project and the process for the engagement. Explaining why some decisions can be influenced by the engagement, while others cannot. Communicating the level of influence the public has in the decision-making process. Seeking diverse opinions to build a greater understanding of the broad range of community views and values."

Principle four is 'Informed'. It states, "The engagement provides relevant and timely information to the public. In practice this looks like: Promoting the opportunity to take part in the engagement. Communicating accessible, relevant, tailored and timely information. Giving the public the knowledge and time to provide informed contributions. Providing clarity about the role of the engagement in the broader project. This includes how contributions will be considered and any relevant legislation and standards.

Principle 5 is 'Accountable'. This includes, " Planning must ensure that the purpose, scope and objectives are clear. Engagement risks must be understood and mitigated. Communications provide pathways for questions and feedback from the public" and "Concerns or requests from the public are addressed."

Principle six is 'Valuable'. It states, "The engagement creates value for the community and government. This can include social, economic and environmental value. In practice this looks like: Drawing on local knowledge and experience. Creating improved outcomes for community and government; Valuing participants and their time. In some instances, community members may be reimbursed for their time or supported to enable full participation. This may include transport, accommodation, child-minding and/or catering; Supporting government to understand and represent their community and inform decision-making; Building value for participants in the process. This may occur through the social impact of informing, empowering and enabling people to be part of changes that benefit their communities."

The community may decide that the amalgamation is a good idea, or they may not.

Whatever the case, people will need to act fast if the want their voices heard. ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

2 days ago

ALEXANDRA DISTRICT HEALTH AND EASTERN HEALTH EXPLORING VOLUNTARY AMALGAMATION

The following press release was just received from ADH: The Boards of Alexandra District Health and Eastern Health are working together to explore how they can strengthen healthcare for their communities and connect care for a healthy tomorrow.

Alexandra District Health Board Chair, Kim Flanagan, said the exploration builds on the strong partnership already in place through the East Metro and Murrindindi Local Health Service Network, which is beginning to deliver real benefits for their local communities.

“Through our long-term partnership with Eastern Health, we have brought specialist oncology consulting and infusion services to Alexandra, coordinated graduate nurse programs, and a staff learning platform,” Mr Flanagan said.

“Exploring a voluntary amalgamation is the next step in considering how we can build on this progress to secure sustainable, high-quality care for people living in Alexandra and its surrounding communities.”

Eastern Health Board Chair, Eugene Arocca, said both Boards were focused on what matters most – stronger healthcare for the community.

“Eastern Health is deeply connected to its community and has enhanced services to provide more care locally.

“Our shared focus with Alexandra District Health is to strengthen healthcare in the region. Exploring a voluntary amalgamation is about testing how we can bring more specialist care closer to home, make it easier for patients to get the right care when they need it, and create more training opportunities for staff to grow their skills and career to help attract and retain a strong workforce.”

As part of the exploration, the Boards are looking at how services could be strengthened and expanded, such as bringing more visiting specialists to Alexandra, improving local access to X-Ray and ultrasound, enhancing community health services support, and improving patient information systems to provide a seamless patient experience.

Mr Flanagan said, “Our shared goal is to keep delivering safe, high-quality care close to home, maintain a strong local identity, and honour the trust and legacy each health service has built over time.”

“This is about working together to strengthen what we already do well, while exploring how a voluntary amalgamation could help us secure services for the future and improve health outcomes for our communities.

“For Alexandra District Health, this means maintaining our core services, urgent care, inpatient beds, district nursing, and community health, as well as preserving our local fundraising and community representation.”

There are no plans to cut jobs or reduce existing services. Staff will remain in their current roles and locations but could benefit from new opportunities and expanded training if a voluntary amalgamation was approved.

Engagement with staff, stakeholders and the communities serviced by both health organisations will happen from 6 to 21 November 2025. People will have the chance to provide feedback through a survey, by email or at several local Tea Talk sessions. Learn more about the community engagement program at www.connectingcare.net.

“Above all, this process is about better health outcomes and making sure our communities can continue to access the care they need, close to home,” Mr Flanagan said.

Pending the outcomes of the exploration and community engagement, any future proposal would require Ministerial approval.

TEA TALK SESSIONS:

Monday, November 10 - Alexandra, Yea and Marysville
Wednesday, November 12 - Eildon and Yarck
Thursday, November 13 - Thornton
Friday, November 14 - Buxton and Taggerty

Full session details can be found at: connectingcare.net/community-engagement/ ... See MoreSee Less